Barishal Correspondent :
After visiting the wholesale market of vegetable and kitchen market items at Barishal Multipurpose City Market and several retail kitchen markets, it was found that there is a double difference between the price of vegetables in the wholesale and retail markets in the city.
Due to this people of lower income group are fell in extreme danger when they come to market.
When asked about selling at double price in the retail market, the wholesaler Ganesh Dutta, the proprietor of M/s Dutta Banijayola, a businessman of wholesale vegetable market, told traders buy products from the wholesale market and sell them in the retail market by hiring transport and labours.
But he acknowledged that retail sellers purchasing product from the wholesale market, sell them at double or triple price.
When asked about the two-fold difference between wholesale and retail market prices, Jasim Uddin, a retail vegetable seller at Sadar Road area of the city, explained after buying vegetables from the wholesale market, they have to pay transportation, loading, unloading costs and labor wages.
Then if you sit in a place to sale vegetables, you have to pay rent, separately pay bill for lights, cleaning and water supply of that place. Many times we have to count the losses when the vegetables get spoiled. So there is no benefit in comparing the wholesale price with the retail market, another retailer Abdul Mia told.
During visiting Multipurpose City Market wholesale market it can be seen, Cauliflower 35-40 taka per kg, turnip 20-25 taka per kg, tomato 20-25 taka per kg, eggplant 50 taka per kg, cabbage 10 taka, sweet pumpkin (desi) 25-30 taka, carrot 25 taka per kg, Beans 35-40 taka per kg, Cucumber 15-20 taka per kg, Chilli 50-60 taka per kg, Corolla 60 taka per kg, Chichinga 25-30 taka per kg, Borabati 50-60 taka per kg, Papaya 15 taka per kg, Gourd 40-60 taka per piece, 12-15 taka per lemon and 10-15 taka per glass. Among these, cauliflower is Tk 50 per kg, turnip Tk 40 per kg, tomato Tk 40 per kg, eggplant Tk 70 per kg, cabbage Tk 30, sweet pumpkin (desi) Tk 40 per kg, carrot Tk 40 per kg, beans Tk 70 per kg, cucumber Tk 40 per kg, green pepper 120 taka per kg, corolla (bitter gourd) at Tk 80 per kg, chichinga (snake gourd) at Tk 60 per kg, burboti (cowpea) at Tk 80 per kg, papaya at Tk 40-50 per kg, gourd up to taka 80 per piece depending on the size, lemon at Tk 20 per hali and green bananas at Tk 30 per hali (4 pieces) in retail market.
Siraj Howladar, a consumer, who came to the Chaumatha Kitchen market of the city, said the rate at the prices of all the goods are increasing leaving the hungry people to pass days without food.
