Hike in prices of essentials adds woes to consumers


FE Online Report | Published: October 08, 2020 18:55:20 | Updated: October 12, 2020 10:09:29


Hike in prices of essentials adds woes to consumers

Prices of rice, onions and some vegetables witnessed a hike again last week adding more woes to the consumers.

Broiler chicken witnessed a slight hike too during the period.

Prices of coarse and medium variety of rice saw further hike by Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg at the city kitchen markets.

Varieties of coarse were only at few groceries in the market and sold at Tk 48-52 a kg on Thursday.

Medium quality rice was retailed at Tk 53-56 a kg.

However, finer rice prices remained static at previous high of Tk 60-70 a kg.

Ashraful Islam, a rice wholesaler at Mohammadpur Krishi Market in the city, said millers were not following the government fixed rate of medium quality rice.

Price increased further by Tk 1.5-2.0 a kg at mill-gate after the government's meeting with miller.

He said government set the price at Tk 45 a kg of medium variety at mill-gates when it was trading at Tk 47-48 a kg in Naogaon, Kushtia and Dinajpur.

Onion prices, specially the imported one, witnessed a significant rise last week as increased to Tk 100-110 per kg from Tk 70-80 a kg earlier.

Local onion, however, was selling at its previous high rate of Tk 90-100 a kg.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded a 40-45 per cent hike of imported onion prices in a week.

End of older stocks and presently low import have fueled up the prices of imported onion.

According to Plant Quarantine Winf of Chattogram Port, only 285 tonnes of onion has been imported so far from other sources than India since the country imposed a ban on onion export from September 14 last.

Some vegetables, including pointed gourd, cucumber and green chilli, witnessed further hike by Tk 20 a kg in a week.

Cucumber was sold at Tk 90-110, pointed gourd Tk 75-90 and green chilli at Tk 240-260 a kg on Thursday.

Broiler chicken also witnessed a hike by Tk 10 a kg as sold at Tk 135-145 a kg on the day.

Farm egg prices remained same at previous high of Tk 37-38 per four pieces.

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

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