Rice, fish, vegetable prices on hike

People’s income has come to a halt due to the pandemic situations and restrictions. As a result, the middle class people are in deep trouble. Even in this situation, there is no price reduction in the kitchen markets, the prices of various daily commodities including rice, fish and vegetables are increasing.

Although the prices have not increased again, all kinds of vegetables are being sold at higher prices this week similar to last week. At the same time, the ban on fishing in the sea has started to have an immediate effect on the market. Even at this time of the year, fish is being sold at higher prices. In a visit to the city's Natun Bazar, Karwan Bazar and other kitchens markets on Friday. It has been seen that the price of eggplant (long) is Tk 60, price of potato is being sold Tk 20 per kg. Onion is being sold at 45 to 50 taka per kg with reduced price.  Squash is being sold at Tk 40 to 50 per piece, gourd at Tk 60 per piece, pumpkin at Tk 40 per kg, chichinga at Tk 40, lady finger Tk 40 and zucchini at Tk 50. Chillies are being sold at Tk 40 per kg. Raw banana is being sold at 25 to 30 taka per 4 pieces. Papaya is being sold at 40 taka per kg. Cucumbers are being sold at 60 taka and lemon per 4 pieces at Tk10 to 15.

The price of rice has increased by Tk 2 to 3 per kg in the market. BR-28 rice is being sold at Tk 52 to Tk 53, miniket at Tk 62 to Tk 64, paijam at Tk 50 per kg and nazirshail at Tk 66 to Tk 70. However, pilaf rice is being sold at 90 to 100 taka at the previous price. Going to the fish market, it was seen that telapia fish is being sold at 150 to 160 taka per kg, rui fish at 230 to 280 taka, mrigel at 200 to 250 taka, shrimp at 600 to 700 taka, pabda at 400 to 500 taka and rupchanda fish at 700 to 850 rupees per kg. A search in the meat market has revealed that broiler chicken is being sold at Tk 130 to Tk140 per kg, decreased from Tk 10 to Tk 20. Layer chicken is being sold at Tk 230 to 240 per kg and golden chicken at Tk 200 to 230 per kg. Besides chicken, prices of beef and mutton remain unchanged. Beef is being sold at 580 to 600 taka per kg and a kilo of mutton is being sold for 800 to 900 taka.

Prices of garlic and ginger soared in the last seven days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, increasing sufferings of the consumers, especially the commoner, who had already been hit hard by price hike of other essentials amid the pandemic. The two main cooking ingredients witnessed a 20-30 per cent hike in prices in the past seven days, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB). However, prices of imported garlics jumped to Tk 180-200 per kilogram (kg) in the retail markets on Thursday, showing a Tk 30-40 a kg hike in a week. Retailers and wholesalers have traded blames for such a big increase in garlic prices just within a week.

Local garlic prices also rose significantly in the past week, soaring to Tk 120-130 a kg on Thursday from Tk 90-100 a few days back. But the state-owned TCB said it recorded a 20-30 per cent hike in retail prices of garlic in the past seven days. Prices of ginger also surged in the period. Local and imported Indian varieties of ginger were selling at Tk 150-Tk 160 per kg on the day while Chinese ones at Tk 180-220 a kg, a 40 per cent hike in a week, the TCB recorded.