The market for essential goods has been volatile since continuous rain and flooding in some areas. Green chilli prices are hurting ordinary people the most, climbing another Tk 100 every few days.

Onion and egg prices are also rising again, and vegetable prices have stayed high for two weeks, with most vegetables selling at around Tk 100 a kg.

This was the picture at Shantinagar and Segunbagicha markets in the capital on Friday, 31 July.

Sellers and buyers in the retail and wholesale sections of the two markets said green chilli was selling at Tk 400 a kg, Tk 40 per 100 grams and Tk 100 per 250 grams. Buying half a kilo or a kilo brings the price down by Tk 20 to 30.

Segunbagicha market trader Bulu Mia said the price of green chilli had risen by Tk 100 a kg in a week. Last week it sold for Tk 280 to 300, and the week before for Tk 180 to 200.

Local onions, which sold for Tk 40 to 45 a kg depending on quality a week and a half to two weeks ago, now sell for Tk 55 to 65. Four days ago they were Tk 50 to 60.

Shantinagar market seller Enamul Haque said onion prices had suddenly risen in the wholesale market, so onions he sold for Tk 40 a week ago now had to be sold for Tk 60. Good-quality, sorted onions from Pabna were selling for as much as Tk 65.

Vegetables have been selling at very high prices since a few days into the month, because of continuous rain and flooding in some areas. Though a couple of vegetables have become slightly cheaper, most remain expensive.

Long aubergines sell for Tk 120 to 150 a kg, round black aubergines have reached Tk 180 and white ones Tk 140. In some places aubergine prices varied by Tk 10 to 20 depending on quality. Sponge gourd and pointed gourd have eased slightly, down from Tk 100 to Tk 60 to 80 depending on the market.

Bitter gourd sells for Tk 120 to 140 a kg, taro corms for Tk 80 to 100, yardlong beans for Tk 110 to 130 and snake gourd for Tk 90 to 100.

Segunbagicha vegetable seller Rafiqul Islam said a few vegetables had become slightly cheaper, but aubergines and some others had become more expensive over the week.

In the egg and chicken market, farm eggs have risen again from last week. They sold for Tk 135 to 140 a dozen last week and now sell for Tk 145 to 150. A month ago they were Tk 120 to 130.

Broiler chicken sells for Tk 180 to 190 a kg and Sonali chicken for Tk 330 to 340.

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