Fish prices still high in city markets

Staff Reporter :
High prices of fish continue even in the season of full monsoon while most vegetables have gotten cheaper in the span of one week because of the improving supply situation.

The cheaper varieties of fish, such as Pangas and Tilapia, are still out of reach of the low-income people.

On Friday, Tilapia and Pangas fish were sold at Tk 200-220 per kg at various kitchen markets in Dhaka city.

The matter came as a shock to Atikur Rahman, who works at a private company, when he went to Rampura kitchen market in the morning and saw that prices of all types of fish still sold at a higher price.

“I couldn’t buy Rui, Katla or Hilsa because they were very costly. So I had to go for Tilapia and Pangas because that’s all I could afford,” he said.

The Meru Das, a fish trader at Polashi, said that the price of one kg of Catfish (Magur) fish is Tk 600.

“Prices have not increased since last week. But the price of fish is high.” he expressed.
Besides, Katla weighing between 1.5 kg and 2 kg was sold at Tk 340-360 per kg while the price was Tk 400-450 for those weighing 2 kg to 4 kg.

Big-size Boal was sold at Tk 650-700 per kg while the small-sized ones were sold at Tk 400-500. Cultivated Koi fish price was Tk 200-220 per kg.

Rui weighing 1.5 kg to 2 kg was sold at Tk 350-380 per kg while the price was Tk 450-500 for the ones weighing 2 kg to 4 kg.

Pabda was sold at Tk 500-600 per kg, Tangra at Tk 600-650 per kg, local Shing at Tk 850-1,000 per kg, cultivated Shing at Tk 400-500.

Fish traders are assuring that the price of fish will come down if the water level decreases during monsoon. Blaming the monsoon for the increase in prices, they say that if the water increases catching fish becomes difficult.

Visiting a number of kitchen markets in the Karwan Bazar, Mirpur, Agargaon, New Market, and Hatirpul areas of the capitalit is showed that the price of different vegetables is decreasing.

Among the vegetables, Brinjals were sold at Tk 60 to Tk 80 per kg, Bitter gourd to Tk 90 per kg Other vegetables were at a slight low price, with kakrol (spiny gourd) priced at Tk 50 to Tk 60 per kg, and sponge gourd and snake gourd ranging from Tk 60 to Tk 80 per kg.

Papaya now costs Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg, while cucumbers Tk 50 to Tk 60 per kg, tomatoes and carrots Tk 100 and Tk 120 per kg, and imported tomatoes around Tk 200 per kg.

The meat market remained calm throughout the past few weeks amid a conventional low in demand and supply during Eid ul Adha.

The price of broiler chicken remains stable at Tk 170-180 per kg, while Sonali chicken sold at Tk 260-270 per kg.