Ramadan Market : Veg prices ease, offering relief to consumers
Muhammad Ayub Ali :
The Ramadan-related rise in essential commodity prices has eased, bringing relief as vegetables like lemons, cucumbers and brinjals have become cheaper and potato and onion prices have dropped well below early-Ramadan levels.
Speaking to the New Nation, a trader said that advance bulk buying ahead of Ramadan had driven prices up, but that pressure has now eased.
“The prices rose as households stocked up ahead of Ramadan, but that buying pressure has now eased.”
Apart from this School and college holidays have reduced Dhaka’s population, lowering demand and stabilising prices.
On Friday, in a visit to Rampura Bazar, Jatrabari kitchen and Shonir Akhra market the potatoes were selling at Tk 15–20 per kg and onions at Tk 40–45, much lower than at the start of Ramadan.
Over the past week alone, potato prices dropped by about Tk 5 per kg, while onions fell by around Tk 20.
Prices of Ramadan-related vegetables have also cooled. Vendors report that lemon, brinjal and green chilli prices have fallen sharply, while most other vegetables are now cheaper by at least Tk 20 per kg.
Market visits showed lemons, which sold for Tk 100 per kg before Ramadan, now priced at Tk 40–50. Larger lemons are selling for Tk 60–80, down from as high as Tk 150 earlier.
Cucumbers and brinjals have also become cheaper, now selling at Tk 40–50 and Tk 60–80 per kg respectively. With fewer buyers, traders expect prices to remain steady for now.
Green chilli prices, which had jumped to Tk 200 per kg at the start of Ramadan, have also declined. On Thursday, good-quality chillies were selling at around Tk 120 per kg, while lower-quality ones were available from neighbourhood vendors for about Tk 100.
Demand for vegetables such as cauliflower, radish and beans has dropped during Ramadan, pushing prices down further.
Beans are now selling at Tk 40–50 per kg, while several vegetables—including radish, carrot, papaya, cauliflower and cabbage—are available within the same price range.
Robiul hossain, a vegetable seller at Rampura Bazar, said vegetable demand has fallen sharply, leading to lower prices.
He expects prices to decline further as more people leave Dhaka for their villages, noting that hostel and mess customers are already decreasing.
Some relief has also reached the grocery market. Chickpea prices have dropped to Tk 80–100 per kg from Tk 100–110 earlier in Ramadan. Raw palm oil has fallen by Tk 5 per litre to Tk 150–160.
However, prices of soybean oil, sugar and several other essentials remain unchanged, with sugar selling at Tk 100–105 per kg and soybean oil at Tk 175–185 per litre.
Meanwhile, meat and egg prices have eased slightly. Broiler chicken is now selling at Tk 165–180 per kg, down from Tk 190–200 a week ago. Golden chicken is priced at Tk 300–320 per kg, while farm eggs are selling at Tk 110–115 per dozen.
