Onion, ginger, potato and lentil prices increased further last week compounding sufferings of the consumers who had to dig deep into their pockets to meet rising expenditures triggered by price hike of other essentials, including rice and vegetables.
Prices of garlic, a key spice, witnessed a slight hike while that of loose flour declined in the week.
Prices of onion, one of the main cooking ingredients, witnessed a significant hike in the last seven days as local varieties of onion soared to Tk 60-70 a kg from Tk 45-55 earlier.
Imported Indian varieties surged to Tk 50-55 a kg from Tk 40-45.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded 20 per cent hike in onion prices in a week while it was 60-74 per cent in a month.
Traders said a rise in Indian onion prices striggered the price spike in Bangladesh.
Its import costs surged by 30-40 per cent in the last two weeks, said Narayan Chandra Saha, a Shyambazar-based importer.
The government has taken multiple measures to tackle any artificial price hike of the cooking spice.
The commerce ministry and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) have strengthened further their market monitoring.
TCB, the state trading arm, will start open market sale (OMS) of onion through trucks from September 13 to keep the prices and supply of the most-consumed spice stable.
Bangladesh annually produces 1.9 million tonnes of onion against a demand for 2.5-2.6 million tonnes. The shortfall is met through import mainly from India.
Stored potato prices increased further last week to Tk 38-42 a kg from Tk 35-36.
Ginger, another key cooking spice, also became costlier in the period. Imported Chinese ginger prices surged to Tk 220-260 a kg from Tk 200-220. Local and Indian Kerala variety of the root tuber spice were selling at Tk 150-180 a kg from Tk 130-150 a kg a week back.
Fine lentil prices increased by Tk 10-15 a kg as was sold at Tk 120-130 per kg on Thursday.
Garlic prices witnessed Tk 10 a kg hike as was sold at Tk 80-100 (imported) and Tk 100-120 (local) per kg.
However, loose flours (ata and maida) became slightly cheaper in the past week. Prices of both ata and maida declined by Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg.
Ata was sold at Tk 30-33 a kg and maida Tk 33-35 on the day.
Rice, vegetables and farm eggs prices did not change maintaining their previous high.
