Winter beans pricey as staples see steady rise
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Early winter beans have hit the market, but sellers are demanding a steep Tk 160 per kilogram. Although the supply of other vegetables is sufficient, it is available in limited quantities.
Prices also vary depending on the market, though other vegetables remain relatively stable, selling between Tk 60 and Tk 80.
The price scenario was observed during visits to Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar and Mohammadpur Krishi Bazar. Price fluctuations were visible across all product markets.
An on-site inspection revealed that most vegetables, including eggplant, bitter gourd, yardlong bean, okra, pointed gourd, and sweet bitter gourd, are retailing between Tk 60 and Tk 70 per kilogram. Cucumbers and papayas are available at relatively lower rates of Tk 50 and Tk 40, respectively.
Round eggplants are selling at Tk 80 per kilogram. While green chilies soared to Tk 400 per a few weeks ago, their prices have now plummeted by more than half, retailing at Tk 120-150 per depending on the market.
Although kitchen market commodities remain stable, the prices of other daily essentials have continued to climb. Over the past week and month, the prices of daily necessities such as rice, sugar, flour, eggs, and milk have been steadily rising.
Sweet bitter gourd is priced at Tk 50, carrots at Tk 80, papaya at Tk 20, okra at Tk 40, tomatoes at Tk 120, taro at Tk 60, and sweet pumpkin at Tk 50, green bananas at Tk 30 per four pieces, bottle gourd at Tk 50 per piece, round bottle gourd at Tk 100 per piece, and taro stolon at Tk 70 per kilogram. The prices of potatoes at Tk 30 and onions at Tk 50 per kilogram remain unchanged.
Sugar is retailing at Tk 130 per kilogram, up from Tk 110 last week. Flour, which was available at Tk 55 per kilogram at the beginning of the month, is sold at Tk 65.
While the price of regular rice has not seen significant changes, polao rice continues to sell at high rates. Loose pilaf rice is priced at Tk 190-200 per kilogram, while packaged polao rice is selling at Tk 220-230. Various brands of liquid milk are retailing at Tk 110 per liter, which was Tk 100 just a short while ago.
In the fish market, tilapia is selling at Tk 250-260 per kilogram, pangas at Tk 230-250, rui and katla at Tk 380-420, and shrimp at Tk 1,000-1,300, pabda at Tk 350-400, large rui at Tk 450-500, and tengra at Tk 700 per kilogram.
Moreover, bhetki is selling at Tk 400-550, mrigal at Tk 250-300, baeen at Tk 600-800, local koi at Tk 700-800, farmed koi at Tk 300, poa at Tk 260, and shol fish at Tk 700 per kilogram.
According to market insiders, while the volatility of the kitchen market is seasonal and weather-dependent, the unchecked rise in the prices of staples like flour, sugar, or milk is not just due to supply shortages. The primary drivers are corporate syndicates, dishonest middlemanship at the wholesale level, and a lack of regulatory monitoring.
Market observers suggest that instead of merely conducting raids at the retail level, regular monitoring of the production and sales prices of importers and mill owners, coupled with increasing the supply of essential commodities through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) open market sales, could relieve general consumers from the suffering.
