Staff reporter :
Despite the arrival of winter, the season of green vegetables – prices of vegetables continue to be abnormally high in spite of availability.
The prices of vegetables which touched the roof this year typically arrive in markets slightly ahead of the season, offering a chance for buyers to purchase them at comparatively lower prices.
Because of the high price only some rich people were found buying these winter vegetables, while others avoided buying.
When asked about the reasons for high prices,.
the traders said that the vegetables could not be produced enough, as the produces are being produced in advance of the winter season; consequently, the supply failed to meet the demand for the winter vegetables.
By contrary, customers blamed the lack of market supervision for the high pricesBecause of untimely heavy rain in the letter phases of rainy season, local farmers delayed sowing and therefore, there is shortage in supply of vegetables to the market, leading to escalation in their prices, traders added.
They anticipate a drop in prices as the vegetable supply increases in the market over the next few days.
On Friday, various kitchen markets in the capital, including those at New Market, the Kella intersection, Hatirpool and Ananda Bazar, were bustling with buyers and sellers.
At New Market and Hatirpool kitchen markets, winter vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage were being sold at Tk100-170 a pair depending on the size.
Gourds were being sold at Tk60-100.
Apart from this, among other vegetables, raw papaya was Tk40, round brinjal, kakrol (spiny gourd), tomato and kochur mukhi (bulbous root of the arum) were Tk100 per kg.
Local cucumber, bitter gourd and radish were being sold at Tk70.
Potol (pointed gourd), chichinga (snake gourd) and dhundul (sponge gourd) were Tk60.
Besides, carrots were being sold at Tk120, beans at Tk140, green chillies at Tk240 and coriander leaves at Tk180 per kg.
Buyers expressed their dissatisfaction, noting the absence of effective supervision despite the government having multiple organizations tasked with market regulation.
Moushumi Ghosh, a shopper at the New Market kitchen market, found the current high prices for winter vegetables unusual.
Typically, when prices fluctuate, various organizations step in to regulate them. However, no such oversight has been observed in the kitchen market.
Robin Adhikari Alamgir, a vegetable trader at the Hatirpool market, mentioned that winter vegetables have recently started becoming available.
He expects prices to decrease significantly once the market is fully stocked.
The prices of both imported and local onions have increased by Tk 40 per kg in the last one week.
According to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) data, local onion was being sold at Tk 140-150 per kg yesterday in the kitchen markets of the capital, including Shantinagar area.
It was Tk 100-110 per kg one week ago. The price of local onion was Tk 90-100 per kg two weeks ago.
Imported onion was being sold at Tk 130-140 per kg on Thursday. It was Tk 90-100 per kg one week ago.
Additionally, fish and meat prices have remained unchanged compared to last week.
At fish markets, roe and catla were being sold at the rate of Tk400-600 per kg depending on the size.
Cultivated koi was at Tk300, but local koi was Tk600-800. Besides, pabda was Tk400, tilapia Tk250 and pangas Tk200 per kg.
However, like other days, the price of river fish was comparatively higher than that of farmed fish.
Meanwhile, the first-ever shipments of 77 tones of potatoes have arrived from India for domestic consumption in Bangladesh – traditionally an exporter of the root vegetable amid government efforts to ease the price.
Potatoes are now being sold at Tk 60 to Tk 80 per kg in Dhaka markets the highest in the country’s history.
In India, one kg of potato costs 20 rupees.
To curb spiraling prices of the Potatoes the agriculture ministry so far has given permits to import 1.07 lakh tonnes of potatoes.
