Market surveillance will be strengthened all year round, not only around Ramadan, to keep the prices of essential goods steady, commerce minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said.

He was speaking as chair of a review meeting on the supply and price of essentials, held on Monday at the commerce ministry conference room in the secretariat.

A presentation by the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission told the meeting that imports of lentils and of raw material for edible oil have risen significantly against last year.

Annual demand for lentils is about 700,000 tonnes, the commission said. Between 1 July and 15 September last year, 42,000 tonnes were imported; over the same period this year the figure reached 106,000 tonnes.

Imports of edible oil raw material rose from 273,000 tonnes in the same period last year to 386,000 tonnes this year.

The meeting expressed hope that the import trend would keep the supply position positive in the months ahead.

Steady pulse and oil prices also make domestic rates more predictable for lentil and oilseed growers planning their Rabi sowing.

Source: Risingbd