Shoppers feel the heat as vegetables stay high, fish costs climb in Durga Puja inflation

Hyacinth beans selling at Tk 220-250 per kg while Green chillies turn red-hot at Tk 200 and even spinach costs a spin

At Mahakhali’s Saat Tola kitchen market, moments after Friday prayers, van driver Saheb Ali was found grumbling as he walked out of the fish market. He had just argued over the price of pangas catfish.

Asked why he was upset, he told bdnews24.com: “This pangas is farmed. Just three days ago I bought it for Tk 170 a kg. Now they’re asking Tk 200. I won’t buy your fish!”

A visit to Dhaka’s Mahakhali, Saat Tola and Niketan kitchen markets on Friday showed that vegetable prices have not cooled down. On top of that, fish prices have risen. Traders said the increase was partly due to Durga Puja.

Vegetables remain mostly in the Tk 80-120 per kg range, except for a few items. Among summer vegetables, teasel gourd, ridge gourd, taro stem, pointed gourd, snake gourd, sponge gourd and okra were selling at Tk 70-80 a kg. Bitter gourd, long beans and aubergine, depending on type, were Tk 100-120.

Although winter is still some way off, some winter vegetables have already appeared in the market. Hyacinth beans were priced at Tk 220-250 a kilo, depending on quality. Bottle gourds sold at Tk 50-80 each depending on size, radish at Tk 80 a kg, and small cauliflowers at Tk 50-60 each.

Tomatoes were priced at Tk 140-160 a kg depending on quality, while green chillies jumped Tk 40 to Tk 200 a kg. Carrots were Tk 120-140, local cucumbers Tk 80-90, and hybrid cucumbers Tk 60 a kg.

A set of four lemons rose by Tk 10 to Tk 30-35, while coriander leaves were Tk 330-350 a kg.

Among the cheapest vegetables, green bananas sold at Tk 40 per four-piece bunch, ash gourd at Tk 50-60 each and pumpkin at Tk 40-50 a kg.

Red amaranth was priced at Tk 25 a bunch, bottle gourd leaves at Tk 40, water spinach at Tk 15, Malabar spinach at Tk 40-50, and stem amaranth two bunches at Tk 40. Napa and fiddlehead fern were selling at Tk 30-40 a bunch.

Potatoes, which have been stable at low rates for weeks, remained at Tk 20-25 a kg.

However, local onions rose by Tk 5 to Tk 80 a kg, though many traders kept the price at Tk 75 when sold in 5-kg packages.

FISH PRICES CLIMB

Like the previous week, supplies of small hilsa, weighing 150-500g, were higher, but prices remained steep.

A hilsa weighing just over a kg was selling for Tk 2,300 per kg, while an 800-gram hilsa was Tk 1,800. Small hilsa weighing 200-250g sold for Tk 600-650 a kg, depending on market, with even smaller ones priced at Tk 350-500.

The very small ones were comparatively cheaper, though buyers complained they had long been frozen and lacked the true hilsa taste.

Catla weighing over a kg was Tk 350 a kg, smaller ones Tk 280. Rui over a kg was Tk 300-320, smaller ones Tk 260-280. Pangas was Tk 180-190, silver carp Tk 160, hybrid tilapia Tk 150-160, and ayer catfish Tk 800 a kg.

Large pabda was Tk 400-450, prawns Tk 680-1,200 depending on size, eels Tk 600-1,200, farmed climbing perch Tk 230-250, snakehead Tk 600-650, mola Tk 400, corica fish Tk 400, mystus fish Tk 800, large tank goby Tk 1,000-1,200, small tank goby Tk 800, olive barb Tk 220, and medium-sized pomfret Tk 600-700 a kg.

Meat and poultry prices have remained stable. Broiler chicken was Tk 170-180 a kg, depending on the market. Sonali chicken was Tk 310-320, layer chicken Tk 300.

Beef remained at Tk 720-780 a kg, mutton at Tk 1,200. A dozen poultry eggs were Tk 140.