Despite continuous rain and a fuel crisis, and some ups and downs in vegetable prices, most vegetables are still selling at high prices. Of the 21 kinds of vegetables now in the markets, only papaya and large bitter gourd are available for under Tk 50. Some vegetables cost Tk 100 or more.

This was the picture at midday on Tuesday, 1 September, at the BNP Bazar in Agargaon, Hatirpool and the Town Hall kitchen market in Mohammadpur in Dhaka.

In these markets papaya sold for Tk 30 a kg, sweet pumpkin Tk 60, spiny gourd (kakrol) Tk 60, pointed gourd Tk 60, yardlong beans Tk 60-70, black round aubergine Tk 100, white round aubergine Tk 80, long aubergine Tk 80, cucumber Tk 60, carrot Tk 120, taro Tk 60 a piece, okra Tk 60, small bitter gourd (ucchhe) Tk 80, flat beans Tk 200 and snake gourd Tk 50.

Ridge gourd sold for Tk 80, sponge gourd Tk 50, bitter gourd Tk 40, taro stolons Tk 80 and tomatoes Tk 120. Bottle gourd cost Tk 50 to Tk 80 a piece, and a bunch of leafy greens Tk 20 to Tk 50.

Traders said supply of vegetables such as taro stolons, spiny gourd, okra, pointed gourd, sponge gourd and taro corms usually rises in the rainy season, so their prices should now be relatively low. But in the markets they are selling above Tk 50.

Shahjahan, who sells vegetables at BNP Bazar, told Jagonews24 that prices were much as before: some had fallen and some had risen, but most were unchanged. Prices of muthi kochu (taro), snake gourd and okra had eased a little, he said.

Another seller, Mizan, said prices were high because of less cultivation, storms, rain and various other reasons. Prices were high at wholesale, so vegetables had to be sold dear at retail too.

Chicken and eggs are still expensive. Broiler chicken sold for Tk 190 a kg and Sonali chicken Tk 320. Beef cost Tk 750 to Tk 850 a kg, and eggs Tk 150 a dozen.

Fish prices have not fallen either. Baim (eel) sold for Tk 800 a kg, prawns Tk 750 to Tk 800 depending on quality, tilapia Tk 250-260, pangas Tk 230-250, rui and katla Tk 350-420 and tengra Tk 700 a kg. Hilsa sold for Tk 800 to Tk 2,500 depending on size.

Buyers are uneasy about the high prices, and they also fear that the pay rise for government employees will push prices up further.

At Hatirpool market, university student Sabuj Ahmed told Jagonews24 that fish and meat had been dear for a long time, but this season vegetables were very expensive too, which was worrying. Regular monitoring would bring relief to the market, he said.

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