Vegetable prices put pressure on middle-class wallet

Vegetable prices are putting some extra pressure on middle-class wallet as the market has gone uncontrollably high for the last one month or so.

Prices of some of the items have shot up by Tk 20 to Tk 30 per kg making it unaffordable for many residents of the capital.

However, prices of meat and fish remained almost unchanged in most of the Dhaka markets.

A survey conducted in several markets in the capital on Friday showed this upward trend in prices of vegetables but the sellers cannot explain the reasons of this trend.

At Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali kitchen market and Mohammadpur’s Krishi Market, eggplants were sold at Tk 70-80 per kg, tomatoes at Tk 100-120 and common beans at Tk 140 per kg.

In those markets bitter gourds, snake gourds, pointed gourd and radishes are being sold at Tk 50-60, okra at Tk 60-70, carrots at Tk 60-80 and cucumber at Tk 40-45.

Prices of all these vegetables, except bean and tomato, were between Tk 40-50 per kg since the Eid-ul-Azha.

Nazim Ud Doula, a trader at Mohakhali kitchen market told bdnews24.com “the price is going up and up and no one can put a reign on it.”

“Vegetable prices are going up for reasons unknown to us. Only the price of papayas is stable, selling between Tk 20 and tk 25. But the rest are being sold at a higher rate.”

A buyer at Mohammadpur’s Krishi Market, Abu Md Ahsan, expressed his annoyance by saying “I have nothing to say about the prices of vegetables. After buying some tomatoes, I’m thinking I could have bought some apples instead.”

Asked why the prices are going up, Md Shamm, a trader at the same market, said, “It’s not that only we are selling at a higher rate. We are also buying vegetables at an increased rate from the depots. The prices in wholesale market are high.”

Md Rahat, a trader at Mohakhali market, however found a reason. He said, “The summer vegetables season is nearing the end and the winter vegetables are yet to come to the market. That’s why the prices are higher than usual.”

Vegetable trader at Karwan Bazar, Shariful Mridha told bdnews24.com that the prices were higher than the usual rate at the corresponding period last year.

“Floods in different parts of the country have led to less production of winter vegetables. The current situation has occurred due to lack of vegetables supply in the market. These rates will remain this month. The prices likely will drop from next month.”

However, meat market saw a downward trend as farm chicken was being sold at Tk 130-140 per kg. Last month, the price was Tk 150-160.

Beef is sold at Tk 420-450 per kg and mutton at Tk 550-600 per kg.

The prices of varieties of fishes are stable too. Rui was sold at Tk 250-400 per kg, Katla at Tk 200-350 per kg, shrimps and lobsters at Tk 400-900, catfish at Tk 500-600 and walking catfish or locally known as Magur at Tk 500-550.