Vegetables remain high due to short supply

The price of vegetables rose by Tk 10 to 20 per kg in the city’s kitchen markets on Friday due to short supply during the latest blockade period.

Traders said that they were ready to pay higher fare to the truck owners but most of the drivers refused to arrive in Dhaka for security reason.

Rais Uddin, a wholesaler of Karwan Bazar, said, huge quantities of vegetables had been perished in Bogra and Jessore every day during the hartal and the blockade time. So, the farmers raised the price to recover losses.

On Friday newly harvest potato was selling at Tk80 per kg, up by Tk 40 is within last  two days. Green chilli was selling at Tk100 from Tk 70, bean was selling at Tk 60 per kg from Tk 40, brinjal at Tk 60 from Tk 50, okra Tk60 from 40, snake gourd at Tk 70 from Tk 50, bitter gourd at Tk 60 from Tk 40, green bean at Tk 70 from Tk 50, cucumber at Tk 60 from 50, Tomato Tk120 from tk 80, green tomato at Tk80 from Tk50, carrot at Tk70 from Tk50, radish at Tk 35 from tk 25, cauliflower at Tk40 per piece from tk 30, cabbage at Tk 35 from Tk 25, parbal at Tk 40 from Tk25, teasel gourd at Tk 60 from Tk 45, zucchini at Tk 40 from Tk 30 and coriander leaves at Tk 400 per kg from Tk 350. A medium size of ash gourd and pumpkin was selling at Tk 45 from tk35 and Tk 80 from Tk 60 per piece respectively.

One bundle of basil weighing 250 grams was selling for Tk 20 only; four bundles of spinach and celery weighing 250 grams were on sale for Tk 20 each. Mustered and radish leaves were felling about Tk 18 per bundle.

Cinnamon was selling at Tk 260- 320, cardamom at Tk 1600-2200, cumin at Tk 380 to Tk420, cloves at Tk 1600, dry chilli at Tk 170-200 and turmeric at Tk 100-140 per kg. Onion was selling local was at TK 85 per kg, contrarily ginger (local) was selling at Tk 180, China ginger at Tk 200, garlic (China) at Tk 90, local garlic at Tk85 and garlic (one cell) at Tk 130.

As for fish, barbal and scorpion were available at Tk 700 to Tk 800 per kilo each, ruhit at Tk 250 to 400, carp at Tk 300 to Tk 450, shrimp and lobster at Tk 400 to Tk 600, pangas at Tk 150-170, tilapia at Tk 150 to Tk 180, mola for Tk 220, climbing fish at Tk 250 to 600, lata at Tk 200 to Tk 240, tatkini at Tk 200 to Tk 220, sheat fish at Tk 300 to Tk 500, small fry fish for Tk 250 and butter fish at Tk 660 to Tk 700.

Beef was selling at Tk 290 toTk 300 per kg, red meat at Tk 400-450 and Broiler chicken at Tk 150 from Tk 130 per kg. But local fowl is costly, selling at Tk 600 per kilo. Per hali egg (4 pieces) was selling at Tk28.

Different varieties of red lentil are sold between Tk 80 and Tk 130 per kg and gram between Tk 60 and Tk 70, unchanged from past week. The price of bottled soya bean oil (five litres) remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 570-Tk 585 in the city’s kitchen markets. The unpacked soya bean oil was retailing at Tk 112-115 a kg.

Of the rice, Minicate was selling at Tk 48 to 52 per kg, nazirshail varieties at Tk 56 to 60, lata variety at Tk 40-42 and coarse variety at Tk 40-42. A packet of coarse flour (containing two kgs) was sold at Tk 85-90 on Friday increase Tk 15 per kg.

Abdus Salam Sarder, importer of essential commodities to Moulvibazar in old Dhaka said, if the political situation does not improve, price might increase further.