The capital has become almost empty during the Eid-ul-Azha holiday. As in other years, most people have left for their village homes, and this has hit Dhaka's kitchen markets. Vegetable supply is down, buyers are fewer and prices have fallen too. All kinds of vegetables are now selling for Tk 10 to 20 a kg less than before Eid.

Visits to markets in different parts of the capital on Monday morning (9 June) found that shopkeepers had brought in less produce than usual. Many shops were still closed. Those that were open had both fewer vegetables and fewer customers, and sellers were spending much of their time idle.

Traders said most people had gone to their villages for the long holiday, and those still in Dhaka had sacrificial meat at home, so demand for vegetables was low. Fewer vegetables were also coming to Dhaka, but with low demand, prices were falling. All kinds of vegetables had fallen by Tk 10 to 20 a kg compared with the day before Eid.

They said the whole of this week would be taken up by the holiday, and more people would come back to Dhaka from next week. Demand and supply would both rise then, and prices could go up or fall further, depending on demand and supply.

On the day before Eid, cucumbers sold for Tk 60 a kg in most markets and reached Tk 100 in some. They are now selling for Tk 20 to 50 a kg. Green chillies have also fallen: a poa (250 grams) that cost Tk 30 the day before Eid now sells for Tk 15 to 25.

Tomatoes and lemons are also cheaper. Tomatoes that sold for Tk 70 to 100 a kg the day before Eid now cost Tk 50 to 60, and lemons have fallen from Tk 15 to 20 a hali (four) to Tk 10.

Potol (pointed gourd), snake gourd and ridge gourd are selling for between Tk 40 and 60 a kg, having reached Tk 80 in various markets the day before Eid. Teasel gourd, yardlong beans, kachur lati (taro stolons), ushta (bitter gourd) and aubergine have also fallen to Tk 50 to 60 a kg, from Tk 60 to 100 the day before Eid. Okra, however, is selling at the same Tk 30 to 40 a kg.

Md Sagar, a vegetable trader at Khilgaon Taltola market, told Jago News that less produce was coming to Dhaka and there were fewer buyers, so prices were lower. "On the day before Eid I sold tomatoes and cucumbers at Tk 100 a kg. Today I am selling tomatoes at Tk 60 and cucumbers at Tk 50. Likewise potol, bitter gourd, yardlong beans, ridge gourd and aubergine that sold at Tk 80 a kg have come down to Tk 60," he said.

He said supply would stay low for some time. When people who left Dhaka start returning from next week, demand and supply will both rise, and prices could fall or rise depending on demand and supply.

Saheb Ali, another trader at the same market, said less was coming to Dhaka because of the holiday, and sales were even lower than supply, so prices were low. Prices could stay this low for another day or two and then rise again, he said, because after days of eating sacrificial meat many people will want vegetables, and when demand rises prices are likely to go up.

Md Mintu, a trader in Rampura, said everyone was eating sacrificial meat, so demand for vegetables was low, and most of Dhaka's people were in their villages. "Many of us have not even opened our shops. The market is unlikely to be normal before next week," he said.

Md Khairul, a trader in Hajipara, said he sold cucumbers for Tk 80 a kg the day before Eid and was now selling them for Tk 40, yet still could not find buyers. "Some are offering Tk 20 to 30. These are selected good-quality cucumbers; I cannot sell them for Tk 20 to 30 a kg. Like cucumbers, all vegetable prices have fallen, but there are no buyers at all. Now and then one or two people come and buy a small amount of one or two items," he said.

He said fewer vegetables had come to the wholesale market that day and there were also fewer traders like him, so they had bought cheaply and could sell cheaply. But prices could rise in two days' time, he said, because nobody likes eating meat for many days in a row, and those in Dhaka will rush to buy vegetables.

Chicken shops were closed in various parts of Dhaka, and those that were open had few sales. Chicken prices, however, have not changed. Broilers are selling at Tk 160 to 170 a kg as before, and Sonali chickens at Tk 260 to 280 a kg. Egg prices are also unchanged at Tk 130 to 140 a dozen, the same as the day before Eid.

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