Chattogram's kitchen markets turned uncomfortable again within a week, with almost every vegetable rising by Tk 10 to Tk 40 a kilogram as supplies thinned. The picture emerged on Friday at the city's Kazir Dewri, Pahartali and Nayabazar markets. In the fish market local hilsa remains far out of reach while Indian hilsa is comparatively cheap; local chicken edged up, and eggs, meat and spices held steady.

Early-winter beans (sheem) have climbed to Tk 220–260 a kilo; yard-long beans sell at Tk 120, brinjal Tk 100–120, bitter gourd Tk 100, pointed gourd, okra, teasel gourd and taro stolon Tk 80, and cauliflower Tk 200. Green chilli is Tk 180–240, carrot Tk 120–160, ridge gourd Tk 80–100, sponge gourd Tk 80–90, snake gourd Tk 70–80, taro Tk 60, tomato Tk 120–240 by grade, cucumber Tk 70 and pumpkin Tk 60. Manik Mia, a vegetable seller at Kazir Dewri, said prices rose Tk 20–30 a kilo because arrivals at the wholesale yards were short.

Chandpur hilsa is selling at Tk 3,000 a kilo; with Indian hilsa plentiful it goes for Tk 1,800 and Myanmar hilsa for Tk 2,200. Pomfret is Tk 1,100–1,200, sea bass Tk 850–1,000, rui and katla Tk 450, tilapia Tk 250, local shol Tk 1,200, local koi Tk 1,000, shing Tk 600, pabda Tk 400–450, tiger prawn Tk 900 and poa Tk 400. Fish trader Mohammad Yasin said marine fish had not come down, and that Indian hilsa is cheaper only because it outnumbers local hilsa in the market.

Broiler chicken sells at Tk 170 a kilo and sonali at Tk 330, while local chicken has risen slightly to Tk 650. Mutton is steady at Tk 1,250 a kilo and eggs at Tk 150 a dozen. Onion is Tk 50–55, and garlic and ginger unchanged at Tk 160.

Md Iqbal Hossain, a private-sector employee, complained that vegetable prices had eased a little last week only to rise again, and that no one seems to be monitoring the market. Dhaka's markets reported a similar Tk 10–30 rise in vegetables over the same week, pointing to a supply squeeze in both cities.

Based on reporting by Desh Rupantor's Chattogram bureau. Source: Desh Rupantor