Supply disruptions trigger fresh spike in winter veg prices
Muhammad Ayub Ali :
Sharp rise in Dhaka markets within a week.
Beans Tk 100–120/kg, cauliflower Tk 50- Tk 60 per piece, turnips Tk 60–100/kg, new potatoes Tk 120–140/kg.
Political events and transport disruptions push prices up.
Broiler Tk 160–170/kg, golden chicken Tk 270–300/kg, eggs Tk 130–135/dozen.
Prices of winter vegetables have soared again within the span of just seven days, undoing the brief relief shoppers saw just days ago, after a sharp decline three to four weeks earlier due to early seasonal supplies in Dhaka’s markets.
Beans, radishes, turnips, cauliflower and cabbage are now selling at noticeably higher prices, leaving buyers puzzled and frustrated. Many shoppers say they cannot understand why prices have risen so suddenly.
Beans had fallen to Tk 50–60 per kg two weeks ago. Now they’re back up to Tk 100–120. Radishes continue to sell at Tk 40–50 per kg. Fresh turnips have appeared in the market this week, with prices ranging between Tk 60 and Tk 100. Spinach, another staple of the winter season, is selling for Tk 20–40.
Prices of newly harvested brinjal have come down slightly, but still remain beyond the comfort range for consumers, selling for Tk 80–100 per kg depending on size and quality.
A visit to Rampura kitchen market, Malibagh, Shantinagar and Segunbagicha painted a similar picture everywhere on Friday.
According to vegetable traders, supplies had been steady and abundant over the past three to four weeks, which kept prices low. But disruptions in supply over the last week have pushed prices back up.
Arif Hossain, a vendor in Malibagh market, said political programmes, arson attacks on vehicles and cocktail explosions in recent days have hindered transportation. “Fewer goods are arriving at the market, and that’s why prices have jumped again,” he explained.
Large cauliflowers and cabbages have only recently started entering the market after a period of smaller-sized produce. Yet their prices remain high—each cabbage still sells for Tk 40–50, with no sign of a decrease.
Hamid mia, a vegetable seller at Segunbagicha Market, said buyers expect cheap vegetables during winter, but that situation may take a bit longer to materialise this year.
Other vegetables such as barbati, karla and kankrol, which were selling at Tk 60–70 per kg, have also seen slight increases and are now priced at Tk 70–80. The prices of dhandas and patol have edged up as well, now selling at Tk 50–60 per kg instead of Tk 40–60.
New potatoes have also arrived in some shops but at high prices—Tk 120–140 per kg. In contrast, old potatoes remain affordable at Tk 20–30.
Onions, however, remain stubbornly high, with no decline over the past week. Consumers are still paying Tk 120 per kg.
There is some relief in the poultry and egg markets. Broiler chicken is selling for Tk 160–170 per kg, while golden chicken remains stable at Tk 270–300 per kg. Farm egg prices have dropped further, with a dozen now selling for Tk 130–135.