After an abnormal rise, apple prices in the country's markets have now eased somewhat. Depending on quality and market, wholesale apple prices have fallen by up to Tk 100 a kg. Even so, at current prices apples are hard for low-income people to afford, so even after the fall the sweet apple tastes "bitter" to buyers. Not only apples: all kinds of imported fruit are now selling at high prices.

On 14 April, green apples were selling at Tk 340 to Tk 360 a kg in different parts of Dhaka, down from Tk 420 to Tk 450 some days earlier. Gala apples cost Tk 340 to Tk 380 a kg, against Tk 400 to Tk 450 earlier. Large apples that sold at Tk 320 to Tk 350 a kg some days ago now cost Tk 270 to Tk 300.

Although apples are cheaper, other imported fruit has not come down. Grapes, oranges, malta, pomegranates and other imported fruit are all selling at high prices. Black grapes cost Tk 500 to Tk 550 a kg and green grapes Tk 300 to Tk 320. Malta sells at Tk 300 to Tk 350 a kg, and oranges at the same price. Pomegranates cost Tk 500 to Tk 700 a kg.

On 9 January the interim government raised duties and VAT at various stages on more than a hundred goods and services, including these imported fruits, and traders raised prices as a result. To curb the high prices and keep fruit affordable during the holy month of Ramadan, the government on 18 March, following traders' demands, cut the supplementary duty on fresh fruit imports from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, fully exempted the 5 per cent advance tax, and cut advance income tax on fruit imports from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.

Even so, all kinds of imported fruit sold at high prices throughout Ramadan. After Eid, apple prices are now falling somewhat, but other fruit is still as expensive as before, and some people leave shops without buying once they hear the price.

At Rampura bazar, Md Ismail Hossain was leaving several shops empty-handed. "I am going to a relative's house and came to buy fruit. But there are no good apples anywhere under Tk 350. Grapes are Tk 550 a kg and oranges Tk 350. The prices seem too high to me, so I am leaving without fruit. I will take sweets to my relative's house instead," he told Jagonews24.

Ali Hossain, buying fruit in Khilgaon, was also annoyed. "Prices of all fruit rise in Ramadan because of demand. Then the government cut duty and VAT, but fruit prices still have not fallen. Apples, oranges, malta — nothing now sells under Tk 350. So what was the point of cutting duty and VAT? It is all traders' manipulation. The government should step up market monitoring and take strict action against traders involved," he said.

Md Moshiur Rahman, buying apples in Segunbagicha, said: "The shopkeeper says apple prices have fallen, yet he is asking Tk 350 a kg. If a kilo of apples is Tk 350, can you call that a fall? Not just apples, all fruit is abnormally expensive. No imported fruit can now be had for under Tk 300 a kg. People with money can afford it; low-income people cannot."

Garment worker Aleya Begum, at Fakirapul bazar, said: "I have not eaten apples for a long time, so I came to buy some. They are asking Tk 350 for a kilo and Tk 50 for a single apple. How can poor people like us buy apples at such prices? I am going back without them. Let those with money eat apples."

Md Minarul Hossain, a fruit seller in Khilgaon, said all fruit prices rise in Ramadan, but apples have now fallen somewhat and other fruit may follow. "In Ramadan apples were Tk 450 a kg. Now I am selling the same apples at Tk 350, a fall of Tk 100 a kg." But even after that, apples are Tk 350, black grapes Tk 550 and oranges Tk 350 a kg, so fruit is not cheap, he said. Higher prices naturally mean lower sales, and this is also the peak watermelon season, so imported fruit sales are somewhat down.

Md Akkas, a fruit seller in Segunbagicha, said apple prices have fallen over the past few days, but other fruit prices have not changed. Because prices are high, people are not buying much imported fruit unless they need it, and it is taking 10 to 12 days to sell a carton of apples or oranges.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.