Capital’s kitchen market: Prices of onion, chicken high
Staff Reporter :
The prices of all kind of chicken and onion are on a rising trend whereas potato and egg price still remain high in the capital kitchen market.
The traders are blaming the ongoing rain and its impact on the supply chain for the cause of hiking the prices of daily essentials afresh.
They further said if the rain patters down continue across the country, submerging roads, the fallout is being felt in markets – both wholesale and retail.
The prices of essentials continue to climb, with the Ministry of Commerce’s efforts to fix prices, complemented by drives and stern warnings, failing to have any impact.
As the rains continue, the crops are bearing the brunt of the effect, resulting in dwindling supplies and even further price shocks.
Belal Hossain, a shopkeeper of Karwan Bazar, takes stock of the green chilli he has brought for sale.
The rains have kept customers away. But the steep prices have only driven them off further.
The price of the vegetables has been fluctuating for almost two weeks, almost doubling. Chilli is being sold at Tk240 to Tk220 per kg at the retail level in Moghbazar. And is it being sold at Tk180 per kg in wholesale at Karwan Bazar.
Belal says the green chilli tree dies when rainwater accumulates. As recent rainfall has increased, supply has decreased.
On the one hand, green chilis imported from India are being sold more in the market.
Rafiqual Islam, a retailer in Nayatola area, said that he bought green chilli for Tk170 at wholesale from Karwan Bazar.
“Now I am selling 250 grams of green chili for Tk60,” he added. But rain isn’t the only factor.
A lack of monitoring, amid various reasons for a supply crunch, has led to pantries becoming more of a drain on the wallet than before.
On 14 September, the commerce ministry fixed the price of eggs at Tk12 a piece, potatoes at Tk35-36 per kg and local onions at Tk64-65 kg, but retailers are not complying.
Eggs are being sold at Tk12.50 each, and potatoes at Tk45-50 a kg.
Mohammad Helal, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said, “The price of onion has increased by Tk10 per kg in a week. We are selling onion at a wholesale rate of Tk90 per kg, which was Tk80 last week.”
Nurul Amin, another retailer at Nayatola area, said onions are selling at Tk95 per kg, eggs at Tk12.5 each and potatoes at Tk50 per kg.
“We are buying at high prices so we are selling at high prices too.
If the wholesale price is reduced, we could also sell at low prices,” Nurul said.
According to data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), onion price increased by 112% and potato price by 70% in a year.
The price of domestic onions was Tk35-45 per kg a year ago, which increased by 112.5% to Tk80-90.
Meanwhile, potato was sold at Tk25-30 per kg a year ago, which increased by 72.73% to Tk45-50.
According to TCB, consumers are not able to buy potatoes and onions at the price set by the government.
And then there are the syndicates which are dictating terms in the poultry market.
Another form of protein is thus being made unattainable.
Broiler chicken price jumps again, soars by Tk20 in a week Mohammad Fazal had purchased a broiler chicken at Tk200 per kilogramme from a kitchen market at Mogbazar’s Noyatola.
Only last week it had been Tk180 per kg.
He tried to haggle at first, but it was a lost cause.
“The prices of various commodities are increasing every week.
It seems like no one is monitoring the market,” Fazal said.
This correspondent visited several kitchen markets in Karwan Bazar and Moghbazar areas and noticed the same situation, with the exception being an even higher price for broiler chicken.
Although those were selling for Tk180-185 per kg last week, prices had shot up to Tk200-205.
