Prices of essentials skyrocket

• Sonali variety chicken up by Tk 120 per kg

• Rice price rise Tk 2-3 per kg

• Coarse rice jump 37pc in a year

• Soya bean oil up by Tk 2-5 per liter

• Local onion soars by 25pc

• Vegetables get dearer, cost Tk 50 to 60 per kg

Putting more pressure on the wallet of low-income people, prices of over half-a-dozen essentials including rice, oil, and chicken have gone up further on the capital's kitchen markets in just one week.

Vegetables have remained high for more than two months. In the meantime, the price of broiler chicken has increased by Tk 20 per kilogram while that of Sonali variety rose by Tk 120 per kg in the city during the last two weeks.

Roaming around three different markets in the capital, it was seen that the broiler chicken, which was sold at Tk 130 per kg last week, is now sold at Tk 140 to 150 per kg this week. Sonali variety, which was Tk 280 to 300 per kg last week, is now sold at Tk 350 to 360 per kg. A few weeks ago, this variety of chicken was sold at Tk 230 to 250 per kg. 

While making up the nutrition by consuming the meat of the domestic bird, the buyers find no relief as the prices of rice, pulses, edible oil, sugar, vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and eggs shot up during the said period.

Suffering the highest during the corona pandemic for rising prices of commodities, the majority of the people are put in a serious crisis for their declining incomes. More people are falling below the poverty line for losing jobs and declining business sales.

People are in trouble because of the prices of course rice, vegetables, potatoes, onions, and eggs--these five products are remaining high for the last couple of weeks. The sufferings are at the peak for the low-income family as a large portion of their expenditure is eaten up for buying these items.

Rice, the main staple, has become even costlier during the past week ending on Friday despite the government’s recent measures to improve its supply in the market.

The soaring price has hit the consumers severely who are already hard-pressed by the pandemic fallout. On Saturday, coarse rice retailed at Tk 48-52 per kg and medium varieties at Tk 56-60 per kg, rising by Tk 2-3 a kg over a period of one week.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded a 2 -4 percent hike in prices in a week while the current rate is 37 percent higher than that in 2020.

The prices of finer rice remained almost static at Tk 65-82 per kg, depending on varieties and quality, while it was Tk 58-64 per kg a week earlier. Medium quality rice was sold at Tk 50-58 a kg while it was Tk 50-56 per kg a week earlier and coarse rice at Tk 45-50 per against Tk 44-48 per kg in the previous week, according to TCB.

The prices of soya bean oil increased by Tk 2-5 per liter in the city markets over the week. A one-liter bottle of soya bean oil was sold for Tk 130-140 while five liters of packaged soya bean oil were sold for Tk 580-630 on Saturday.

Unpackaged soya bean oil was sold for Tk 115-120 a liter and palm oil for Tk 105-107 a liter on the day.

Local onion prices also increased by 25 percent and imported onion price has increased by 4.65 percent in a week, according to TCB.

The local onion was Tk 35-40 per kg yesterday while it was Tk 25-35 per kg a week earlier and imported onion was Tk 20-25 per kg while it was Tk 18-25 a week earlier, TCB data said.

The price of the bay leaf has increased by 13.79 percent and was sold at Tk 130-200 per kg while it was Tk 120-170 a week earlier, it said.

The price of potatoes in the market is now Tk 36 to 40. Exactly one month ago, potatoes were sold at Rs 40 per kg. Later the price was reduced to Tk 35 per kg. Prices of this ingredient have risen again this week.

Potatoes are usually sold at Rs 20 per kg in the market at the end of winter. When the storage of potatoes in the cold storage decreases before the Winter season, the price of potatoes remains around Tk 30. This time the price of potatoes went up abnormally. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of potatoes has risen by 64 percent over a year.

Most of the vegetables in the market are now at Tk 50 to 60 per kg. This price has been remaining for the last few weeks. The price of chilies is also not decreasing. Two and a half hundred grams of chilies cost Tk 40 to 50. The element is being sold at Tk 160 to 200 per kg by different varieties.

Onion prices have increased last week. The price of Indian onion rose from Tk 55 to Tk 60 per kg. And local onions were being sold at Tk 70 to 80. After two days, the wholesale market prices fell. Retail also declined. Domestic onions fell to Tk 60 and Indian ones to Tk 50. The price increased again for the last two days. In the retail market, domestic onions are now being sold at Rs 75-80 per kg and Indian onions at Rs 50-55 per kg.

Aubergine sold for Tk 30-40 per kg, papaya for Tk 30-40 per kg, bitter gourd for Tk 40-60 per kg, bottle gourd for Tk 40-60 apiece, beans for Tk 30-40 per kg, radish for Tk 10-20 per kg, cucumber for Tk 30 per kg, cauliflower for Tk 20 apiece, cabbage for Tk 15-20 apiece and tomato for Tk 20-25 per kg on Saturday.

The prices of sugar remained high over the week. Refined sugar retailed at Tk 68-70 per kg while the locally-produced variety retailed at Tk 70 per kg.

The prices of red lentils remained unchanged over the week. The coarse variety sold for Tk 65-70 per kg while the medium-quality variety sold for Tk 85-90 per kg on the markets on Saturday.

The fine variety of red lentils sold for Tk 115-120 per kg on the day. The prices of fish remained unchanged over the week. Rohita sold for Tk 260-350 per kg and Katla for Tk 250-350 per kg, depending on the size and quality. Pangas sold for Tk 130-180 per kg and Tilapia sold for Tk 120-160 per kg.

The imported variety of garlic retailed at Tk 100-130 per kg while the local variety sold for Tk 70-80 per kg in the capital. The imported variety of ginger sold for Tk 80-120 per kg and the local variety retailed at Tk 100-120 per kg.

Fine-quality packaged salt retailed at Tk 35 per kg while the refined variety retailed at Tk 25 per kg.

Consumers in discomfort