Vegetables alone cost me Tk 700

The price of green chilies has gone beyond the reach of ordinary people in Barishal. The retail price has reached Tk 400 per kilogram. Sellers say prices have increased because imports have declined due to heavy rainfall. Buyers, however, allege that a syndicate is driving up vegetable prices. As a result, consumers are struggling with the soaring market prices.

A visit to permanent and mobile markets across Barishal city found the same picture. Many low and middle income consumers were seen returning home disappointed.

Aminul Islam Shuvo, owner of Dulal Banijyalay at City Market, said, “Vegetable prices have increased within a week. Green chilies that were Tk 100 per kilogram in the retail market are now Tk 300 per kilogram in the wholesale market. Even we are shocked by such an increase within four weeks.”

On Monday, eggplant was selling for Tk 150 per kilogram in the wholesale market, bottle gourd at Tk 45 per piece, papaya at Tk 30 per kilogram, gati kochu at Tk 40 per kilogram, man kochu at Tk 50 per kilogram, pointed gourd at Tk 50 per kilogram, tomatoes at Tk 120 per kilogram, carrots at Tk 100 per kilogram, cucumbers at Tk 40 per kilogram, yardlong beans at Tk 70 per kilogram, snake gourd at Tk 20 per kilogram, taro stolons at Tk 50 per kilogram, bitter gourd at Tk 80 per kilogram and teasel gourd at Tk 80 per kilogram. However, retail prices for these vegetables are Tk 50 to Tk 100 higher.

Md. Sohag, a vegetable trader at Natun Bazar, said, “We sell according to the price we pay in the wholesale market. We make only a small profit. We had to buy green chilies at Tk 380 per kilogram. Now if we do not sell them at Tk 400, how will we support our families?”

Saidul Islam, a trader at Bangla Bazar, said there is a shortage of vegetables in Barishal markets. He said retail traders compete in the wholesale market every morning to buy vegetables. At the same time, prices have increased because of the shortage.

Liaquat Ali, who sells vegetables at night near the Jailkhana intersection, said, “Every day I used to buy vegetables from Babuganj and bring them to Barishal city to sell, and the prices were affordable. Due to continuous rainfall, many fields have gone under water. As a result, I cannot bring vegetables from there, so we have to buy vegetables from the wholesale market at higher prices and sell them at higher prices.”

Murtaza Rahman, a schoolteacher from Kaunia in the city, commented, “I went to the market with Tk 1,000. I planned to buy fish and some vegetables. But I spent Tk 700 just on vegetables. I bought only 100 grams of green chilies, and that alone burned a hole in my pocket. I bought two eggplants, and they cost Tk 100. I do not accept that vegetable prices have increased because of the rain. A syndicate is blaming the weather to raise prices. Vegetables now cost much more than fish.”

However, Rafiqul Islam, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in the Barishal region, said, “Thousands of hectares of crops have been damaged due to continuous rainfall. Summer vegetables have been submerged under water. After that, the inflow of water from upstream has increased the damage further. These are the reasons why the supply of vegetables in the market has declined.”