Excess transport fare blamed

Anisul Islam Noor :
The price of rice has not fallen in the city’s retail markets despite arrival of the newly harvest Aman paddy, sources said.
Wholesalers and retailers blame each other for high price of rice, and sometimes both hold excessive transport fare responsible.
Minicate was selling at Tk 50 to 54 per kg, nazirshail varieties at Tk 56 to 62, the Lata variety at Tk 40-44 and coarse variety at Tk 40-42, BR-28 at Tk 45 to 47 per kg and aromatic rice at Tk95 to 120 per kg.
The price of onion has decreased by Tk10 to 15 per kg, as new harvested onion arrived in the markets.
On Friday, local onion was selling at Tk40 from Tk 50 and imported one at Tk30 from Tk40. Garlic was selling Tk 80 (China) and Tk 70 (local), while ginger (local) at Tk 120 and imported one at Tk 140 respectively.
The newly harvest potato was selling in retail markets at Tk 15 to 18 per kg, green chilli at Tk50 to 60, bean at Tk 25 to 30, brinjal at Tk 30 to 35, snake gourd at Tk 40, bitter gourd at Tk 30, green bean at Tk 40, cucumber at Tk 25, tomato Tk30, green tomato at Tk25, carrot at Tk25 to 30, radish at Tk 15, cauliflower at Tk 25 to 30 per piece, cabbage at Tk 25 per piece, teasel gourd at Tk 60, zucchini at Tk 25 based on size, coriander leaves at Tk 100 per kg. A medium
size of ash gourd, pumpkin and gourd were selling at Tk 30 to 50 respectively.
As for fish, barbal and scorpion were selling at Tk 700 to Tk 800 per kilo each, ruhit at Tk 250 to 400, carp at Tk 300 to Tk 450, shrimp and lobster at Tk 400 to Tk 600, pangas at Tk 150-170, tilapia at Tk 150 to Tk 180, mola for Tk 220, climbing fish at Tk 250 to 600, lata at Tk 200 to Tk 240, tatkini at Tk 200 to Tk 220, sheat fish at Tk 300 to Tk 500, small fry fish for Tk 250 and butter fish at Tk 660 to Tk 700.
The broiler chicken was selling at Tk 140 to 150, and the local fowl at Tk 400 to 550 per kg, showing upward trend. But beef and red meat price remained unchanged at Tk 290 to Tk 300 per kg and at Tk 400-450 respectively.
The price of different varities of red lentil also rose by Tk four per kg and it was selling between Tk 80 and Tk 135. The price of bottled soybean oil (five litres) remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 570-Tk 585 in the city’s kitchen markets. The unpacked soybean oil was retailing at Tk 114-118 per kg.