Steps must be taken to control vegetable prices in the market

DUE to high prices, fish and meat have largely been removed from the diets of low-income people.

Vegetables, which were their main source of food, have now become completely out of reach.

The lives of common people, especially working class, have become unbearable.

They are failing to meet their family’s food needs by keeping a balance between income and expenditure.

According to a report published this newspaper yesterday, the prices of vegetables in the capital’s markets are now skyrocketing.

Except for a handful of vegetables, the price of most vegetables is more than 100 per kg.

Buyers said that vegetables that were priced at 70 to 80 taka per kg a few days ago are now being bought for 120 taka.

If this continues, the suffering of the common people will increase further.

Market analysts say that the main reasons for such high vegetable prices are weak market management, lack of monitoring, frequent changes of hands and interference by the middlemen, extortion, and the tendency of sellers to make excessive profits.

Even though the prices of vegetables in the market are high, the farmers do not get a fair price.

They do not get even one-fourth of the price at which vegetables are sold in the market of Dhaka city.

Vegetable sellers alleged that there are syndicates in the local markets. They all decide on a price. At that price, they buy the vegetables from the farmers. Later, the vegetables are brought to the capital.

In the capital, they also change hands a few times and end up in the hands of retailers.

The price of vegetables increases after a few changes of hands. The marginal farmers are almost always deprived.

According to agricultural economist Dr. Jahangir Alam Khan, basically due to the current market system, both farmers and consumers are being cheated, and middlemen are benefiting.

Now if the market system can be made in favour of farmers, then both farmers and consumers will benefit.

Since there will be no middlemen, our farmers will also get a fair price and consumers will also be able to buy products at a fair price.

We believe that the supply system of vegetables and other items in kitchen markets must be made simple and seamless to protect the interests of producers and consumers.

Thus, adequate measures must be taken to strengthen market surveillance systems and prevent various types of manipulation.