Vegetables became pricier last week compounding the sufferings of the consumers already hit hard by rising prices of essentials.
Hilsa price hike also continued during the period while ginger prices showed some decline.
Prices of seasonal vegetables increased by Tk 5-Tk 15 a kg in a week, which traders attributed to the ongoing cold wave and foggy weather, which disrupted both production and transportation.
Bitter gourd, bottle gourd, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, local bean, long bean, tomato and pumpkin witnessed the hike.
Bitter gourd was selling at Tk 75-Tk 80, local tomato Tk 60-Tk 70 a kg, local bean Tk 60-Tk 70 a kg, cauliflower Tk 35-Tk 45, cabbage Tk 30-Tk 40 and bottle gourd Tk 50-Tk 80 a piece on Friday.
Imran Ali Master, a Karwan Bazar-based vegetables trader, said the delays of trucks were affecting the smooth supply of vegetables.
Trucks and pickup-vans, loaded with daily essentials on the highways, faced difficulties due to foggy weather as it took additional 8 to 12 hours to reach their destinations, he said.
He said that only 50 vegetable-laden trucks reached the wholesale market early morning as against around 200 in normal days.
He said that the prices of vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, tomato, and leafy varieties increased significantly in Bogra, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Jessore regions after low supply from the farms amid foggy weather.
He also said transport fare jumped by Tk 6,000-Tk 7,000 each trip in the last one month following chilling cold.
Onion prices remained unchanged.
Ginger price, however, showed a Tk 10 decline per kg as sold at Tk 100-Tk 120 a kg.
Meanwhile, the sky-high price trend of national fish Hilsa continued last week following the government's announcement on lifting the ban on exports of the fish. Prices of the national fish further climbed by Tk 50-Tk 100 per kg or piece in a week.
A medium-sized Hilsa (600 gram-850 gm), however, was selling at Tk 450-Tk 700, while bigger sized sold at Tk 750-Tk 1,350 a piece on Thursday.
Small-sized Hilsa were traded at Tk 450-Tk 550 a kg on Friday, according to retail market operators.
The fisheries and livestock minister Narayan Chandra Chanda on January 8 announced that the government is going to withdraw the embargo on Hilsa exports.
The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Bangladesh Shop Owners Association have opposed the government move, saying that it would further push up the prices of fish on the domestic market.
