Low-price local fruits now popular as Iftar items

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Iftar was once decorated with various fruits to take care of the body during fasting. These fruits included imported dates, grapes, apples, pears, pineapples, oranges as well as local fruits like bananas, watermelons, pineapples, melons, cucumbers. But this time the price increase of imported fruits as well as some domestic fruits has broken all previous records. In the market, the price of other daily goods is very expensive. Therefore, imported fruits including dates have become a luxury product for Iftar. As these fruits are beyond the reach of common people, this time local guavas, plums and hybrid plums (kul barai) are now popular among the common people.
Among the local fruits, banana is selling at least 30 taka, watermelon 80 taka per kg, cucumber or cucumber 70-80 taka per kg, ripe papaya at 80-10 taka per kg. All imported fruits including grapes, apples, oranges, malta, pineapple are being sold at Tk 280-400 per kg.
Only Peyara and Baraai are within the reach of common people. Before Ramadan, guava was Tk 40-50 per kg in the retail market. Even after the start of fasting, guavas are being sold at Tk 50 per kg. The prices of baukul and coconut or desi kool braai have come down more than before. Earlier it was sold at Tk 70-80 per kg but now it is being sold at Tk 50 per kg.
Hasan Ali, a guava seller in a van, said that he is selling guava at the previous price. But sales have increased more than before. Abdur Rob, a drug seller, said that there is a lot of import of drugs in recent times. Now that fasting has started, there is a lot of sale for iftari. The price of beer has not increased, but has decreased.
Nazrul Islam, a Saudi expatriate from Joynagar Boardghar area of Salimpur Union, spoke while shopping in the market. He said that during Ramadan, the prices of products worldwide decreased. Bangladesh is an exception. Generally: When Ramadan comes, the prices of daily commodities increase in this country. New trends have been introduced over the years. Traders increase the prices of products not near Ramadan, but two months before.
Consumer Golam Mostafa said, along with foreign fruits including dates, the prices of local bananas, melons, cucumbers and pineapples have skyrocketed this time. Prices of all products have increased during fasting. So I am fulfilling the demand of fruit with guava and kul baraai at Iftar.