Among edible oils, neighbourhood shops sell one- and two-litre bottles of soybean oil more than anything else. On Thursday, however, a tour of Gopibag, Khilgaon, Rampura, Mugdapara and other parts of the capital found very few of these bottles, and many shops had none at all. The few that were available carried the old price. Shopkeepers said dealers' vans had been coming less often since the oil price rise was announced, and they were waiting for bottles at the new price. Many shops still had oil they bought earlier and were not placing new orders, and people were buying less because of the higher price. Overall, both demand for and supply of bottled oil have fallen. Loose oil supply is unchanged, but it is selling for Tk 4 to 6 a kg more than the previous week.

Rice and sugar have gone up by Tk 1 to 2 a kg, while vegetables, lentils, meat and other goods are selling at the previous week's raised prices. The one piece of relief for shoppers this week is onions, which sold for Tk 5 to 15 a kg less than a week earlier.

Retail markets in the capital were selling loose soybean oil at Tk 152 to 155 a kg. Some shopkeepers with oil bought at the old price were selling it to regular customers for Tk 150. The previous week loose soybean oil cost Tk 148 to 149 a kg, a rise of Tk 4 to 6 in a week. Loose palm oil sold for up to Tk 138 a kg the previous week; on Thursday shopkeepers asked up to Tk 142.

On Tuesday mill owners announced new prices for all edible oils, raising them by Tk 7 a litre. Under the new prices, a one-litre bottle of soybean oil will cost at most Tk 160, loose soybean oil Tk 136 a litre and palm super Tk 118 a litre.

Loose sugar has gone up by another Tk 2 a kg to Tk 82; the report gives the previous week's price as Tk 178 to 180. Lentil prices are unchanged, with the large-grain variety at Tk 85 to 90 and the small-grain at Tk 100 to 110 a kg.

Alamgir, a grocer at Gopibag bazar, said: "I don't have a single one- or two-litre bottle. I have sold the oil I bought at the old price, and no company dealers have come since, so I haven't bought any. I only have a few five-litre bottles left from before."

News that imports are slowing has pushed up rice prices as well, by Tk 1 to 1.50 a kg this week. Sellers said Miniket that used to sell for Tk 56 now costs Tk 57. All kinds of rice, including Atash, Paijam, Katari, Nazir, Kajol Lata and Guti-Swarna, have gone up by Tk 50 to 75 per 50 kg sack. A seller at Mariam Rice Store in Malibagh bazar said he had heard in the wholesale market that there would be no more rice imports, which was why prices were rising.

On 14 October the government removed the 10 per cent duty on onions to bring prices down, and they have since fallen by Tk 5 to 15 a kg in a week. Sorted onions from Pabna now sell for up to Tk 70 a kg, Faridpur onions up to Tk 65 and small local onions Tk 60. Imported onions sell at Tk 55 to 60 a kg. A week or so ago all onions, local and imported, cost Tk 70 to 80 a kg. Ginger sells at Tk 60 to 130 a kg and garlic at Tk 80 to 120.

There is no good news in the meat market. Broiler chicken is unchanged at Tk 180 to 185 a kg, Sonali at Tk 320 to 350 and layer at Tk 250 to 260. Beef costs Tk 600 a kg, and eggs have risen to Tk 105 a dozen.

Vegetables remain expensive. Pointed gourd, okra, snake gourd, cucumber, bottle gourd, koida, aubergine and most other vegetables are selling at an average of Tk 50 to 60 a kg. Tomatoes, talbegun (large round aubergine), carrots, flat beans and green chillies sell at Tk 100 to 140 a kg.

Source: Kaler Kantho. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.