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Essential commodities mkt: Prices high despite ample supply

A customer stands in front of a vegetable shop at Islambagh Kitchen market in the capital on Friday.
A customer stands in front of a vegetable shop at Islambagh Kitchen market in the capital on Friday.
Staff Reporter :
The price of essential commodities is still high despite ample supply. The retailers blame carrying cost and middlemen’s intervention. In fact the producers do not get fair price. It is middlemen, wholesalers and retailer’s benefit, while the sufferers are the consumers.
 This year most of the winter vegetables are selling at high price despite affluent supply in the market. For examples tomato sells at more than Tk 100 per kg, which is illogical considering the supply.
After visiting capital’s BUET market (Palashi), Rampura, Malibagh, New Market, Mirpur and Hatirpul on Friday, it was seen that bean and cauliflower are being sold at Tk 60 to Tk70 per kg and Tk 40-50 per piece respectively.
On the other hand, the price of carrot, tomato and French has remained stable as these are being sold at Tk 120-130, Tk 140 (local), Tk 120 (Indian) and Tk 70-80 respectively.
Furthermore, brinjal is being sold at Tk 50-60, cucarbitaceous at Tk 50-70, green papaya at Tk 25-30, parble at Tk 50, bitter gourd at Tk 60-80, Arum-lobe, spone gourd, snake gourd are at Tk 50-60.
While talking to The New Nation, private service holder Rashed Hosein has expressed his dissatisfaction as the price is more than what it was in the mid of June.
 He said we are in the deep sea.
Last Thursday, the government fixed the price of Soybean and sugar. According to the new decision, 1 litre of bottled soybean oil will sells at Tk 190, which was Tk 178 earlier. In the case of a 5-litre bottle, the price rose by Tk 45 selling at Tk 925 from Tk 880.
The price of unpackaged soybean oil rose by Tk 14 selling at Tk 172 a litre. Apart from that, the price of unpackaged palm oil rose to Tk 121 a litre.
A 1-kilogram (kg) packet of sugar will sell at Tk 108, instead of Tk 95. But the market price has been over Tk 100 for the past couple of days. There was even a sugar crisis in the retail market. As per the new price, a 50-kg sack of sugar will cost Tk 5100.
In rice market it was seen that the Paijam rice is being sold at Tk 56-58 whereas one week earlier it was at Tk 52-54.
The egg traders are selling per dozen eggs at Tk 140 whereas one week earlier it was Tk 150.  
Speaking to the New Nation, egg trader Rahman Mia from New Market said the price of egg is going down.
In the kitchen market, the broiler chicken is being sold at Tk 170-180 whereas the Sonali (Popularly known as Pakistani cock) is being sold at Tk 300-320 and beef is being sold at Tk 720 and Mutton Tk 900.
There is no fish except Chapila under at Tk150 per kilo.
As a result, the people of the middle and lower income group are struggling to meet their maintenance cost .
After visiting few kitchen market it was seen that shrimp per kg sells at Tk 750-800. The cat fish was selling at Tk 500 to 600 at Baganbari, South Goran on Friday, taki machh at Tk 550, Papda at Tk 350-550 and boal machh at Tk 800.