Prices of daily essentials have witnessed further hike in the cities, as the ongoing blockade coupled with the recent spell of hartal severely disrupted the overall supply chain, traders said.
They said goods-carrying transportation came to an almost halt, fearing arson attacks amid the blockade-hartal. So, they found themselves in a difficult condition to ensure smooth supply chain of essentials, the Financial Express reports.
On the contrary, prices of various items have declined drastically at farmers’ end due to the transportation halt that also affected procurement, leaving farmers in a quandary, growers said.
Prices of most of the commodities, including staple rice, meat, fish, pulse, onion, chili, ginger, foreign spices, loose soybean oil, potato and vegetables, increased by 11 per cent (rice) to 60 per cent (vegetables) during the last 30 days of blockade in the cities like Dhaka and Chittagong, according to the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) data.
Rice prices increased further by Tk 1-2 per kg at retail level in the last seven days. Coarse variety Swarna was sold at Tk 37-38 per kg on Tuesday, while Brridhan-28 at Tk 42-45, and Miniket at Tk 48-54 per kg.
Onion price increased by Tk 4 to 6 per kg, both at wholesale and retail levels, in the last two days despite its peak harvesting season, said traders at key kitchen markets. Onion was traded at Tk 35-36 (Indian) to 37-38 (local) per kg on the day.
Chili prices, which declined a week back, increased again by Tk 5 to 15 per kg, both at wholesale and retail levels. The item was traded at Tk 40-60 per kg.
Ginger was sold at Tk 100-110 (local) and Tk140-150 (Chinese) per kg, marking Tk 20-40 hike in the last two days.
A spice trader at Karwan Bazar wholesale market in the capital said only two onion-laden trucks entered the market on Tuesday.
He said it is the peak harvesting season of ginger and onion. But the traders could not source items for lack of transports amid blockade-hartal.
Transportation cost of each truck has almost doubled, and it is now Tk 30,000-33,000 from Pabna and Meherpur, and Tk 20,000-22,000 from Faridpur, he added.
Another trader at the same market said ginger prices have shot up in the cities, as its supply has been severely disrupted.
He said most truck owners are not eager to ply their vehicles in this volatile political situation. So, ginger transportation from three hilly districts and Rangpur region has almost halted, which is causing the price hike.
