The overheated kitchen markets in Dhaka left the middle class and marginal income groups of people gasping even in the winter season.
"We're now in the middle of winter. The prices of key vegetables should have gone down by the time, but the prices are on fire," said Shamim Gowher, a businessman.
After visiting various kitchen markets, the UNB Correspondent found that the retailers were selling popular vegetables at Tk 50 to Tk 90 per kg claiming that there was a short supply in major wholesale markets.
But the wholesalers claimed that the retailers are charging higher prices for vegetables for no reason, reports UNB.
According to his market investigation, the price of broiler chicken has shot up to Tk 200 a kg, pinching the pockets of commoners already battered by the surging prices of other essentials like rice, edible oil, sugar and pulses.
Visiting some wholesale kitchen markets, the correspondent observed that the winter vegetables are selling at 20 per cent to 30 per cent higher prices based on quality this year compared to that of the previous year. The price variation of vegetables also is based on areas like Gulshan, Banani and Hatirpool. The prices of vegetables at Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Mirpur, Khilgaon, Fakirapool and Motijheel are almost similar.
One piece of bottle gourd was selling at Tk 60 at Karwan Bazar, while the same size was selling at Tk 70 to Tk 75 at Gulshan and Hatirpool markets. Cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage were selling at Tk 40 to 60 per piece based on its size and quality.
Good quality bean was selling at Tk 80 per kg, while long bean at Tk90 to 100 per kg, long brinjal at Tk 60 to Tk 70 per kg, eggplant at Tk70 to 80 per kg, pumpkin at Tk 50 per kg, bean seed at Tk100 per kg, papya at Tk40 per kg, green chili at Tk 80 to 100 per kg, potato (new) at Tk 30 to 40, local variety of newly-harvested potato at Tk45 to 50 per kg, carrot at Tk 60 to Tk80 per kg based on sizes and quality, okra at Tk 80 per kg, ash-guard at Tk 60 to 70 per piece, tomato at Tk 60 to 70, onion (new) at Tk 40 to 50, onion old at Tk 70 to 80 per kg.
Leafy vegetables, such as spinach, were selling at Tk 15 to Tk 20 per bundle, red spinach at Tk 10 to 15, green spinach at Tk 20 per bundle, coriander leaves at Tk 120 per kg.
The prices of layer, Pakistani, Sonali and indigenous chicken breeds also showed a substantial hike amid the growing demand from households, restaurants and catering houses on the occasion of New Year celebrations as well as for different social-religious programmes, said sellers.
The broiler chicken was selling at Tk 185-200 per kg, while layer at Tk 220-225, Pakistani at Tk 300-320, Sonali at Tk 320-30 and indigenous ones at Tk 490-530 per kg, marking a 15-20 per cent hike just in a week.
But broiler chicken witnessed more than a 30 per cent hike in the last two weeks, while the current price is 49 per cent higher than the price a year ago.
Habibur Rahman, a poultry farm owner at Basail in Tangail, said the production of broiler chicken came down significantly in his area as many farm owners had closed operations during lockdown during the April-August period due to staggering losses.
He said production cost has now gone up to Tk 150 per kg due to a 35-40 per cent hike in poultry feed prices in the last one year.
Secretary of Consumers Association of Bangladesh Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said rice, flour, edible oil, sugar, fish, lentil, broiler chicken and other essentials have witnessed a marked hike in a year, hitting the people of low-income group hard.
The hike in the prices of broiler chicken, eggs and cultured fish means poor are being forced to minimise their protein consumption, he added.
Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM) shows that the fine quality of aman rice is selling at Tk 60 to Tk 66 per kg, medium quality aman rice at Tk 53 to Tk 55 per kg, and that of coarse at Tk 45 to 48 per kg.
But the prices of different kinds of rice are higher than the prices shown at the DAM website.