Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Potatoes – one of the staple foods in Bangladesh – have overtaken rice in terms of prices after Eid-ul-Fitr. Besides, the price of broiler chicken has yet to cool down even though the Eid festivities are over.
Latest estimates by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) show that coarse and medium rice is being sold for Tk 50 – Tk 58 per kg at the retail level in various markets across the capital.
Meanwhile, the minimum price of potatoes per kg at the retail level is around Tk 50 in the city. It is being sold for Tk 55 – Tk 60 per kg depending on the area or market. Potato prices rose to Tk 50 per kg in the city markets before Eid, and the prices increased yet again after Eid.
On Monday, Traders at Karwan Bazar were selling potatoes for Tk 48 – Tk 50 per kg at wholesale level.
Zakir Hossain, a potato trader in Karwan Bazar, said there is a shortage of potatoes in the market. And the price was already on the rise. All in all, after Eid, wholesale prices increased by Tk 4 – Tk 5 per kg.
The leader of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association recently said at a press conference that there may be a 30 per cent shortage of potatoes this year, so the price will be high. At the end of the season, potatoes should be bought for more than Tk 50 per kg.
According to TCB data, consumers have to buy potatoes at almost twice the price this year compared to the same period last year. Potato prices in the market had stood at Tk 24 – Tk 30 per kg when compared year-on-year.
President of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Mostafa Azad Chowdhury said, “Potatoes came to the market at a higher price from farmers. Apart from this, the additional production that was needed to overcome the potato crisis last year did not take place.
“All in all, I think that the price of potatoes will be higher this year.”
The government, however, has allowed the import of potatoes to solve the shortage in the country's market. But due to the high price of potatoes in the neighboring countries, there is not much interest among the importers.
Broiler chickens are being sold at Tk 240 – Tk 250 per kg in markets of capital. Due to an increase in demand in the week before Eid-ul-Fitr, the price of chicken suddenly increased and reached this position.
Even though Eid is over, the prices in the market have not come down to the previous level. Many suppliers have not yet started supplying chicken, said sellers.
On the contrary, the demand for chicken in hotels and restaurants has increased, so the price is still high, they added.
