Prices of loose soybean oil, broiler chicken, egg, and newly-harvested onion saw a hike in Dhaka city’s kitchen markets.
Apart from these, salt, raisins and pistachios (Nut) prices also went up in the past few days.
Vegetable traders, vendors and consumers said all kinds of vegetables maintained the same prices both in wholesale and retail levels in the past few days.
The government on February 06 approved the maximum retail price (MRP) of one-litre bottled soybean oil at Tk 168, five-litre jar at Tk 795, loose soybean oil at Tk 143 and palm oil at Tk 134 a litre set by the refiners earlier in the third week of January, according to groceries and online shops in the city.
Loose soybean and palm oil were selling at much higher rates than the government-fixed prices in absence of market surveillance, stakeholders said.
The state-run Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) in its daily report on Monday stated that eggs were being sold at Tk 34-Tk 35 (four pieces), soybean oil at Tk 153-Tk 155 per litre, local onion at Tk 32-Tk 36 per kg and salt at Tk 27-Tk 33 at the retail level.
Jubayer Hossain, a wholesaler at Mohammadpur Krishi Market, told The Financial Express (FE) that loose soybean oil was selling at Tk 171 per kg today at the wholesale level while it was Tk 158 per kg last week.
Wholesale prices of salt increased by Tk 4.40 per kg (from Tk 14 to Tk 18 per kg) recently, he said.
Raisins prices rose to Tk 380 per kg from Tk 280 at the wholesale level, the trader said.
Pistachios (nut) prices increased by Tk 60 per kg. The nut is now being sold at Tk 1,720 a kg at the wholesale level, Jubayer stated.
Without citing any specific reason, Jubayer Hossain also said the market has been very volatile recently.
Broiler chicken was selling at Tk 150 per kg on Monday whereas the price was Tk 135 per kg last week, Rasel (single name), a salesman at New Bismillah Broiler at Mohammadpur Krishi Market, told The FE.
Pakistani and Sonali chicken were selling at Tk 240 at the wholesale level, he said.
The price of the red egg was Tk 108 a dozen at the wholesale level last week which was Tk 105 in the previous week, he added.
Akash (single name), a vendor at Mohammadpur Krishi Market, said the newly-harvested onions were selling at Tk 34-Tk 35 per kg at the wholesale level today whereas the price was Tk 23-Tk 24 last week.
Imported ginger was selling at Tk 60-Tk 65 a kg at the wholesale level, he added.
This correspondent saw that prices of brinjals, pumpkins, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, newly harvested potatoes and green chilli remained steady today compared to last week prices.