Prices of most commodities unchanged at previous high

The prices of maximum essential commodities including rice, flour, lentil, local spices and vegetables remained unchanged at previous high in this week.

However, the prices of edible oil, egg and imported onion and garlic came down slightly, according to kitchen market sources.

Buyers are hoping that traders will not increase the price of any product before Eid-ul-Azha.

Meanwhile, the sugar market is yet to be normalized. During the week, the retail price of sugar in the country’s kitchen markets remained higher than the rate set by the government despite a hike in the rate last month. Consumers fear that the price of sugar may increase further before the Eid due to extra demand.

Various fine rice including miniket and nazirshail were selling for Tk 70-85 per kg while medium quality rice including paizem and BR28 were sold at Tk 56-65 per kg on Thursday at retail markets of the capital. Coarse rice was sold at Tk 50-55 per kg while aromatic rice chinigura was sold at Tk 130-150 per kg.

Whole wheat flour was sold at Tk 53-58 per kg on Thursday, while the price of per kg refined flour was Tk 58- 60. Packaged whole wheat flour was sold at Tk 60-65 per kg and packaged flour was sold at Tk 72-75 per kg.

However, the prices of edible oil including soybean and palm decreased by Tk 5-10 per litre. Loose soybean oil was sold at Tk 175-180 per litre on Thursday which was Tk 180-190 a week ago. Loose palm oil is being sold at Tk 140-145 per litre; it was at Tk 145-150 per litre one week ago. Bottled soybean oil is being sold at Tk 190-195 per litre.

Earlier, the government re-fixed the price of edible oil last Sunday. As per the new prices, the bottled soybean oil is Tk 189 per litre which was Tk 199 earlier. The price of non-bottled soybean oil is Tk 167 per litre which earlier was Tk 176 per litre. At the same time, the price of palm oil has been reduced by Tk 2 to Tk 133 per litre at the retail level.

The prices of local and imported lentils remained unchanged at Tk 90-130 per kg like last week.

Like edible oil, sugar is also being sold at prices higher than government-fixed ones. On May 11, the Ministry of Commerce increased the price of loose sugar by Tk 16 per kg to Tk 120. The price of packaged sugar was fixed at Tk 125.

However, loose sugar was being sold at Tk 130-135 per kg on Thursday at the retail level. Traders said the sugar supply crisis is yet to be solved, causing the price to remain unchanged at previous high.

Meanwhile, the price of imported onion decreased further by Tk 10 per kg, and was being sold at Tk 145-150 per kg on Thursday, down from Tk 155-160 per kg a week ago. On the other hand, local onion prices remained unchanged at Tk 170-180 per kg this week.

The price of garlic and ginger also remained static this week. Local and imported garlic was being sold at Tk 120- 160 per kg and ginger sold at Tk 280-320 per kg on the day. The price of farm chicken, however, increased by Tk 10 per kg while the price of farm chicken egg price decreased by Tk 2 per four pieces. Broiler chicken, in the meantime, sold at Tk 200-210 per kg, down from Tk 190-200 per kg. Farm chicken egg sold at Tk 46-48 per four pieces, it was at Tk 48-50 per four pieces one week ago.

The price of some vegetables including potato, okra, brinjal, green papaya decreased by Tk 5-10 per kg, this vegetable is being sold at Tk 50-70 per kg, it was at Tk 60-80 per kg one week ago.