With large numbers of people out of Dhaka for the long holiday, demand for vegetables in the capital's wholesale markets has fallen by about 40 percent against normal times, while supply from outside has dropped only 20 to 25 percent. Unsold produce is piling up, prices have fallen and many traders are selling at a loss, banglanews24 found on a visit to Karwan Bazar and other wholesale markets on Wednesday, 21 October.
Md Omar Faruk, president of the Karwan Bazar small raw produce wholesalers' cooperative, said more than 400 trucks bring about 7,000 tonnes of vegetables to the market every day, plus 4,500 to 5,000 tonnes of fruit. With supply down about 20 percent and demand down 40, he estimates some 2,860 tonnes of vegetables are left over each day; they are sold off cheap, and much of it spoils.
Wholesaler Mehedi Hasan Jewel said bitter gourd that sells for Tk 55 a kilo on a normal working day is now Tk 30, and his daily sales have fallen from 10 to 15 maunds to seven or eight. Wholesaler Sohel Rana said teasel gourd has dropped from Tk 55 to Tk 40, pointed gourd from Tk 20 to 25 to Tk 18 to 20, and brinjal from Tk 30 to 35 to Tk 25.
Bottle gourd fell furthest: normally Tk 20 to 25 apiece by size, it sold for Tk 10 on Wednesday morning and dropped to Tk 5 as the day went on, yet many still lay on the market floor, said wholesaler Md Maksud. Imported Chinese carrots fell from Tk 1,300 to 1,350 for a 10 kg pack last week to Tk 1,050 to 1,100.
Good-quality green chillies sold wholesale at Tk 90 to 100 a kilo and lower grades at Tk 70 to 80, Tk 10 to 20 less than last week. Retailers bought potatoes from wholesalers at Tk 16 a kilo, one or two taka below last week, and wholesaler Asir Ali's daily sales fell from 10 sacks to five.
Traders expect prices and sales in the wholesale markets to stay unsettled until buyers return and demand recovers after the holiday.
Photo: Karwan Bazar, Press Information Department / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Source: banglanews24
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