Onions, potatoes and green chillies become costlier

Prices of most vegetables, including onions, potatoes, and green chillies, have risen further in the capital's kitchen markets this week, with the retail price of local onions surging to Tk 100 per kg and potatoes reaching Tk 70 per kg.

The price of green chillies, which had already increased last week, remains high at up to Tk 300 per kg.

Ordinary people are struggling to afford these daily commodities with their low incomes. The lower-income and lower-middle-income groups are particularly affected by the rising prices.

A visit to the kitchen markets in Rampura, Malibagh, and Moghbazar areas of the capital on Friday revealed that the supply of imported onions is low, causing the price of local onions to increase by Tk 5 per kg due to high demand. Local onions are being sold at Tk 90-100 per kg, compared to Tk 85-95 per kg last week.

Traders said that there is limited opportunity to import onions from India, as they have set the minimum export price of onions at $550 per tonne. If traders import onions at that price, it costs about Tk 80 per kg to bring them into the country, including customs duty.

According to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data, the price of local onions was Tk 65-70 per kg at this time last year.

The price of potatoes has also increased, rising from Tk 55-60 per kg last week to Tk 60-65 per kg on Friday. Last year at this time, potatoes were priced at Tk 35-40 per kg, according to TCB data.

Retail sellers said they have to buy potatoes at Tk 58 per kg from the wholesale market. Therefore, they have to sell them at a minimum of Tk 65 per kg to avoid losses.

Ali Hossain, a buyer at Rampura market, said, "I used to eat more potatoes to reduce household expenses, but now potatoes have become expensive. Every type of vegetable is now out of our reach; nothing is cheap now."

"The price of potatoes was Tk 60 per kg at the end of last week. The price has increased by Tk 5 per kg in just a few days," he added.

Before Eid-ul-Azha, the price of green chillies had increased to Tk 200-250 per kg. After Eid, the price briefly decreased but then rose again to Tk 300 per kg. However, traders and retail sellers said that the supply of green chillies is increasing, so the price should come down in a few days.

The price of almost all vegetables, including eggplants, bitter gourds, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and taro roots, has increased. Traders and retail sellers attribute the higher prices to drought, flood, and rain.

In the kitchen markets, bitter gourd is being sold at Tk 60-120 per kg, carrot at Tk 80-120 per kg, tomato at Tk 100-140 per kg, cucumber at Tk 90-100 per kg and taro root at Tk 80 per kg.

Additionally, pointed gourd, ridge gourd, sponge gourd, teasel gourd, taro stolon and green papaya are priced between Tk 40-60 per kg.