Egg prices jump record high
Staff Reporter :
The kitchen market of the capital city Dhaka is experiencing volatile situation as the daily essential products price skyrocketing making a unbearable situation for middle, lower middle and poor people.
The price of egg has reached record high in the country ever known history. The price of onion, fish and vegetables are also shooting up in the market.
Traders in the capital’s Kawran Bazar kitchen market were selling per hali of eggs at Tk60 and a dozen selling at Tk170-Tk180 on Friday.
The price of eggs has increased abnormally in a span of 4-5 days in the capital.
In many grocery shops, each egg was being sold for Tk15 and a hali of eggs was being sold for Tk58 on Friday (11 August).
Feroz Alam, a shopkeeper in Kalyanpur, said that the wholesale price of eggs has increased.
“We are now selling eggs at Tk58- Tk60 per hali and Tk15 if you take one. 5 days ago I sold eggs at Tk50,” he added.
“4 days ago I sold a dozen for Tk140. A dozen eggs were sold for Tk150 a week ago. It was Tk140-145 in the previous week,” said a trader named Yasin.
In such a situation, the Department of Consumer Rights Protection conducted a special raid on the Kawran Bazar kitchen market of the capital on Thursday (10 August) night.
The campaign was led by Assistant Director of Consumer Rights Abdul Jabbar Mondal.
At that time, an egg trader was fined Tk20,000 for not being able to show the cash
memo due to the mismatch between the purchase price and the selling price.
Abdul Jabbar Mondal said that they have seen a big difference between buying and selling prices of eggs.
He said that the operation was carried out in the wake of the sudden increase in the price of eggs. They have come to the field to see if there is any manipulation in the market, he added.
The official said that the operation will be conducted across the country from Saturday (12 August) to control the price of eggs.
On the other hand, prices of onions, fish and a number of vegetables witnessed a rise in Dhaka’s kitchen market on Friday, with almost all vegetables becoming Tk10-30 costlier per kg compared to last week.
Buyers said prices of all items are increasing due to a lack of government monitoring.
Eggplants were being sold at Tk70, round eggplants at Tk80, cucumber at Tk120, bitter melon at Tk100, papaya at Tk40, pointed gourd at Tk80, spiny gourd Tk60, carrots at Tk120, tomatoes at Tk240, pumpkin at Tk30-40, okra at Tk60, snake gourd at Tk80, sponge gourd at Tk 80, yardlong bean at Tk100, green chilli at Tk240, coriander leaves at Tk300, gourd at Tk80, wax gourds are Tk70-80 per piece and bananas Tk35-40.
Compared to last week, the prices of all vegetables increased by Tk10-30. However, the price of cucumber has doubled. Last week, it was sold at Tk 40-60 per kg, but this week it is being sold at Tk120 per kg.
Local onions were being sold at Tk90, cross variety onions at Tk80-90, Indian onions at Tk60, ginger at Tk200-220, Chinese garlic at Tk220, local garlic at Tk220 and potatoes at Tk40.
Local onions saw a Tk15 increase, Indian onions Tk 10 and cross-varieties Tk 15-20 compared to last week.
Mehedi Hasan, a buyer, said: “The price of everything is high in the market. Last week, I bought local onions at Tk75, today (Friday) I had to buy them at Tk90.”
Maruf, another buyer, said: “This is due to a lack of government monitoring. If the government had monitored properly, vendors would not have been able to raise prices so hastily.”
Halim, a tea seller, said: “Since the prices of everything are high, I have to eat less.”
When vegetable vendors were asked about the reason for the price hike, they said that the prices increased due to flooding in different areas.
Rajib, a vegetable vendor, was forced to discontinue his sales due to the exorbitant prices. He said: “Vegetable prices are so high that I could not buy them today.
Despite usually having a variety of vegetables in my shop, I am unable to make any sales today.
I only brought 15kg of chillies to sell; I can not stay in business any longer.”
Besides, ilish fish was being sold at Tk1,300-2,000, rui at Tk400-450, catla at Tk450, shrimp at Tk1,000-1,400, corica at Tk500, batasio at Tk850, Gangetic koi at Tk280 and helicopter catfish at Tk650-750 per kg. In the market, broilers are priced at Tk170-180 per kg, “cock chicken” at Tk290-300, local chicken at Tk550 and beef at Tk750-780 per kg.
The price of beef was set at Tk750 by Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association. Vendors are charging Tk780 not adhering to the fixed price.
A customer who came to purchase fish remarked that not only vegetable prices are high, but fish prices are also soaring. He added: “I used to buy small shrimp at Tk700; today it is Tk1,000. And ilish is out of reach altogether.”
However, another buyer said he found fish prices to be manageable.
“Just a few days ago, I used to buy ilish at Tk2,000 or Tk2,100 per kg. Today (Friday), I got it for Tk1,700 per kg,” he added.