Prices of essentials items like ginger, garlic, onion, potato and loose soybean witnessed further hike in the city markets last week, battering consumers during this stay-at-home period.
Chicken, egg and meat prices, however, showed a slight decline.
Supply of imported Chinese ginger was considerably low at groceries and kitchen markets, and its price experienced a tectonic rise last week.
Ginger price hit Tk 300-340 a kg on Thursday. It was Tk 280-310 a kg on Monday, and Tk 170-180 a kg seven days back.
Local ginger price also increased to Tk 260-270 a kg that was 140-160 a kg a week back.
The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded 68 to 90 per cent hike in ginger prices in last seven days.
Imported garlic price increased to Tk 200-220 a kg from Tk 170-190 a kg. Local garlic price also showed a hike by Tk 20 a kg, and was sold at Tk 160-170 a kg on Thursday.
Potatoes of mostly consumed diamond and cardinal varieties were retailed at Tk 25-28 a kg and local (desi) red varieties at Tk 36-40 a kg, showing Tk 2.0-4.0 further hike per kg in a week.
Asked about rise in ginger prices by such a big margin, Imrul Hasan, a Shyambazar-based trader, said supply of imported ginger from Chattogram almost stopped for last one and a half weeks.
He also said a good chunk of ginger and garlic could not be unloaded in Chattogram Port due to labour crisis amid the lockdown.
Besides, import of these items from India also halted for many days.
As a result, wholesale shops have almost zero stock of Chinese ginger now, which has caused the hike. "I sold my last stock three days back," he added. But there is good supply of local ginger and garlic, he added.
Meanwhile, onion price showed a further hike by Tk 10 a kg in last seven days. Both local and imported onions were sold at Tk 55-65 a kg on Thursday.
However, chicken, meat and egg prices showed a slight decline last week.
Broiler sold at Tk 105-120 a kg, while farm egg retailed at Tk 82-90 a dozen on Thursday.
But loose soybean oil price reached Tk 95-98 a litre from Tk 93-95 a litre a week back.
Rice price, especially of medium and finer varieties, witnessed further hike by Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg last week.
Finer rice of Miniket and Najirshail varieties were retailed at Tk 62-70 a kg, and medium Brridhan-28, Paijam and Lata at Tk 56-60 a kg.
Coarse rice price remained the same, maintaining previous high of Tk 48-50 a kg.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said almost all essential items became pricier in last one month, putting commoners in peril.
Poor people, especially the daily earners, should get food aid immediately during the lockdown.
He also said lack of sufficient market monitoring is encouraging traders to raise commodity prices at their wish.
The government's monitoring should be increased and expanded to keep prices of key essentials within the reach of low-income group of people.
TCB should include rice and some spices to its Open Market Sales (OMS) programme to help the commoners, he added.
