Chicken prices on the rise as vegetables remain stable

Soyabean oil is back on the shelves after an official price was set by the government

After a brief decline last week, chicken prices have risen once again, while vegetable prices have remained stable after surging previously.

A visit to Dhaka’s Mohakhali and Saat Tola markets on Friday revealed that the prices of all types of chicken have increased by Tk 10 to Tk 40 per kilogram compared with last week.

Broiler chicken prices are now up by Tk 10 selling for Tk 190 per kg. The cost of Sonali chicken has jumped to Tk 300 per kg, up from Tk 260 last week.

Sonali hybrid chicken is selling at Tk 280 per kg, compared with Tk 240 last week.

Meanwhile, red-layer chicken is now Tk 310 per kg, up by Tk 40. White layer chicken has increased by Tk 10 to 20, priced at Tk 270 per kg, and native chicken is priced at Tk 650 per kg, seeing a rise of Tk 20.

Khokon, a vendor identified by a single name at Saat Tola market, told bdnews24.com: “Compared with last week, prices of almost all types of chickens have reverted to what they previously were. The intense heat had caused prices to drop slightly.”

As chicken prices fluctuated, vegetable prices have remained stable compared with last week, with only a few changes.

Hardly any vegetables are selling at under Tk 60 per kg. Most are priced between Tk 70 and Tk 80, with some even surpassing the Tk 100 mark.

Among summer vegetables, aubergine, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, sponge gourd, snake gourd, spiny gourd, and okra are being sold at Tk 70-80 per kg.

Papaya, previously the cheapest among them, has risen by Tk 20-30 and is now priced at Tk 60-70 per kg. However, wholesale vendors say prices remain unchanged if bought in bulk.

Other prices include: taro stem at Tk 80-100, taro root at Tk 100-120, long beans at Tk 100-110, and moringa at Tk 110-120 per kg.

The price of green chillies has remained stable for the month, selling at Tk 60-80 per kg.

Some winter vegetables are still available but remain costly. Broad beans have increased by Tk 20-30 to Tk 80-90 per kg depending on quality. Radish is priced at Tk 50, cauliflower at Tk 50-60 apiece depending on size, and bottle gourd at Tk 50-80 each.

Green bananas are being sold at Tk 40 for four, while ash gourd is priced at Tk 50-60 each, and pumpkin at Tk 40-50 per kg.

Tomatoes are selling at Tk 35-40, carrots at Tk 50, radish at Tk 60, and cucumber between Tk 60 and Tk 80 per kg, similar to last week.

Limes are priced at Tk 10-20 for four pieces, coriander leaves at Tk 180 per kg and mangoes at Tk 40-50 per kg.

Shah Alam, a vegetable seller at Saat Tola market, said: “Winter vegetables are on the decline. In a week or two, cauliflower will no longer be available, so prices are higher. Summer vegetables are entering the market, prices should drop soon.”

Among leafy greens, red amaranth is selling at Tk 20-25 per bunch, bottle gourd leaves at Tk 40-50, spinach at Tk 15, water spinach at Tk 15, Malabar spinach at Tk 30-40, and stem amaranth at Tk 10 per bunch.

Other greens include lamb’s quarters at Tk 20 per bunch, fiddlehead fern at Tk 30-40, and cheeseweed, available at some shops, at Tk 25-30 per bunch.

Despite a government price cap, bottled soyabean oil continues to sell at inflated prices. On Thursday evening, a dispute broke out between a customer named Rishad Hossain and a vendor at Saat Tola market.

Rishad alleged that the original price label had been scratched off the bottle, and the vendor was charging more than the newly fixed rate, asking for Tk 200 for a one-litre bottle, which is Tk 11 more than the official price.

The seller failed to justify the higher price, shifting the blame to the distributor.

The seller eventually agreed to sell the oil at the government-fixed price but claimed, “There’s no profit for me at that rate.”

On Apr 15, the government set the maximum retail price for bottled soyabean oil at Tk 189 per litre and loose soyabean oil at Tk 169 per litre. Following this, the supply of bottled oil, which had been scarce for months, mysteriously returned to shelves.

Prices of potatoes, onions, and other essential spices remain stable. Potatoes have been selling at Tk 20-25 per kg for the past month.

Domestic onions are priced at Tk 60 per kg, while larger Indian onions sell at Tk 50 per kg.

Ginger continues to range from Tk 120 to Tk 280 per kg depending on quality. Domestic garlic is Tk 100-120, Indian garlic Tk 220-230, local lentils Tk 140, imported bigger lentils Tk 120, mung beans Tk 180, chickpeas Tk 100-110, and grass peas at Tk 125-130 per kg.

Faruk Hossain, a vendor at Ripa General Store in Saat Tola market, said: “All spice prices are stable, and supply is steady.”