Prices of essentials gone up due to ‘lockdown’

• Price of ginger, garlic increased

• Vegetables price gone up Tk 20 to Tk 30 within a week

• Fish prices increased Tk 30 to Tk 50 per kg

Due to the deteriorating situation of Covid, prices of daily essentials like fish, meat, onions and other vegetables have gone up in the capital's markets due to restrictions or ‘lockdowns’ in different parts of the country.

The sellers said that the price has gone up as a result of disruption of supply for lockdown from different districts of the country. In particular, the disconnection of some districts from Dhaka is being brought to the fore. Buyers are likely to believe everyone who looks appropriate, if there are only a few. On a visit to capital's Karwan Bazaar on Friday revealed that beef was being sold at Tk 600 per kg. Similarly, broiler chickens are being sold at Tk 160 per kg with an increase of Tk 20 per kg. Layer chicken is being sold at Tk 270 and the golden chicken is being sold at Tk 260. Besides, the price of eggs has also gone up by Tk 5 per four pieces. While surveying the kitchen market, it has been seen that the prices of various vegetables have gone up from Tk 20 to Tk 30 within a week. Wholesale traders in Karwan Bazar said many vegetables could not be delivered due to the lockdown. As a result, prices have risen. However, if there is no supply problem, the situation will return to normal. However, despite the increase in prices, there is no shortage of vegetables in the market. Potato, Tomato, Bean, Gourd, Sweet Pumpkin, Eggplant, Radish, Red Spinach and Spinach are all abundant in the market.

Meanwhile, the price of radish has gone up, it’s now Tk 60 per kg, Eggplant (long) by Tk 80, black Eggplant by Tk 90. Besides, Cucumbers are being sold at Tk 80 per kg, Tomatoes at Tk 100, Carrots at Tk 100, Potatoes at Tk 30 and gourds per piece at Tk 60 per kg. Even on Thursday (June 24), the price of most of these vegetables was 10 to 15 taka less per kg. Besides, last week, Potato and Brinjal were sold at 40 to 50 taka per kg. Prices of Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Carrots have increased comparatively. A vegetable seller named Abdul Hakim said, “The prices of some vegetables have gone up abnormally and the reason is due to low supply. In the wholesale market, the price of vegetables has gone up from Tk 30 to Tk 50 per 5 kg. As a result, we also have to sell more. There is some uneasiness among the buyers at such prices of vegetables.” A buyer, who came to the market, named Korim Ahmed said. “There is no shortage of vegetables. There is no effect of lockdown in the market. As such, the price of all vegetables should be reduced. But when I came to the market, I saw that the price of everything has gone up. The sellers increase the price whenever they get any excuse to do that.”

Meanwhile, there were not many buyers and sellers in the fish market, but the prices were quite high. Here too, the sellers spoke of the shortage of supply. The prices of all kinds of fish including rui, katal, shing, magur, pabda, and shrimp have gone up from Tk 30 to Tk 50 per kg as compared to last week. Besides, the same picture can be seen in some other kitchen markets of the capital. Prices of fish, meat, onions and other vegetables have gone up in these markets within a week.

Ginger, garlic prices shoot up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha

Prices of different varieties of ginger have increased in the market ahead of Eid-ul-Azha festival. The Chinese variety of ginger, which is popular among common people, is being sold at Tk 180 per kg. The price of garlic has increased somewhat. The prices of essentials, including onion, ginger, garlic, and other spices usually shoot up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha in the country. Traders attribute decline in import to rising prices of Chinese variety of ginger in the market. Prices of ginger imported from India and Myanmar have also increased due to supply crunch. Visiting Kawran Bazar, Mohammadpur Krishi Market and Mirpur Section-11 kitchen market on Friday, it was found that Chinese variety of ginger was being sold at Tk 170-180 per kg which was sold at Tk 150-160 just a week ago. At the same time, the price of Indian ginger (imported from Kerala state of India) was raised by Tk 10-15 and being sold at Tk 140 a kg.

The Chinese variety of ginger was sold at Tk 140-145 per kg and Indian variety at Tk 110 per kg at Shyambazar, the wholesale market of spices, on Friday. Abdul Khaleque, a wholesaler of spices at Shyambazar, said importers need to pay more to import ginger from China now-a-days. So, import of ginger from China has remained stopped. In spite of it, retailers are not supposed to seek so high prices. Imported garlic is now being sold at Tk 160 per kg, while the local variety of garlic is available at Tk 80 per kg. On the other hand, prices of onion have declined. Five kilograms of local variety of onion (hybrid) were sold at Tk 220. It means one kilogram of onion was sold at Tk 44. Retailers at Mohammadpur Krishi Market sold the local (hybrid) variety of onion at Tk 45-50. The Indian variety of onion was being sold at Tk 35-40 per kg. Traders said supply of onion to the local markets has increased following the start of import from India. As a result, price of onion has fallen in the local markets.