Prices of almost all daily essentials, including vegetables and onion, have remained the same, especially in the capital’s kitchen markets on Tuesday, with no letup in fixed-income people’s woes.
Furthermore, prices of cauliflower, brinjal (long) and pumpkin saw a hike ranging between Tk 5.0 and Tk 10 per kg or each on Tuesday compared to Monday ’s prices.
Bean prices saw a decline by Tk 130 per five kg.
Prices of three important spices -- onion, ginger and garlic -- continue to stay stable.
On the other hand, prices of broiler, Sonali and Pakistani chickens remained steady, while egg prices saw a hike by Tk 5 a dozen.
Price of loose flour increased by Tk 6.0 a kg from the last couple of days while flour (packed) of different brands like Bashundhara also increased by Tk 7.0 per two kg.
The state-run Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) in its daily report on Tuesday stated that the prices of eggs, local sugar, salt (packed), lentil, onion and flour (packed) are Tk 36-Tk 37 (four pieces), Tk 78-Tk 80 per kg, Tk 27-Tk 32 per kg, Tk 105-Tk 111 per kg, Tk 52-Tk 55 per kg and Tk 37-Tk 38 per kg respectively.
Apart from this, DAM also reported that tomatoes (mature) are being sold at Tk 106-Tk 115 per kg, while broiler chickens at Tk 150-Tk 155 a kg, soybean oil at Tk 142-Tk 144 per litre, garlic (local) at Tk 49-Tk 57 per kg, garlic (imported) at Tk 111-Tk 118 per kg, ginger (local) at Tk 82-Tk 96 per kg and ginger (imported) at Tk 91-Tk 102 per kg.
After visiting some city kitchen markets, it was found that prices of potatoes and other different essential spices were stable compared to the last couple of days.
Commenting on the situation, Maksedul, a vegetable vendor at the city’s Adabor Bazar told The Financial Express (FE) that prices of almost all the vegetables have been stable maintaining the previous hike.
The price of long brinjal has seen a hike by Tk 50 for each five kg at wholesale prices, compared to yesterday’s prices, he said, adding that he is retailing the vegetable at Tk 70-Tk 80 per kg.
The vegetable vendor said he has bought five kg of bitter gourd at Tk 350 and now he is selling it at Tk 80 per kg at the retail level.
The price of pumpkin has increased by Tk 10 each compared to yesterday’s price, he said, adding that he is selling it for Tk 55-Tk 60 each at the retail level.
Asked about the retail prices of beans, cabbage and local cucumber, Maksedul said he is selling them for Tk 80-Tk 90, Tk 30-40 and Tk 50 per kg respectively.
Some other vegetable vendors at Adabor, Mohammadpur Krishi Market along with mobile vendors also echoed the same price level.
Both traders and vendors blamed the soaring prices on last month's flood situations in different parts of the country along the Covid-19 pandemic.
They pointed out that the supply constraints and spiralling prices in the international commodity market have also triggered the unstable situation in the local market.
Akash, a wholesaler, said the prices of onion are ranging between Tk 42 and Tk 65 in the wholesale market while ginger (imported) and local garlic are selling at Tk 120 and Tk 50 respectively.
The prices of onion, ginger and garlic have remained static for the last couple of days, he added.
Rasel, a salesman at New Bismillah Broiler at Mohammadpur Krishi Market, told The FE that he is selling broiler chickens for Tk 155-Tk 160 a kg.
Sonali and Pakistani chicken are selling at Tk 280-Tk 290 per kg this day, he said, adding that a dozen of red eggs are selling at Tk 115.