Citing a higher dollar rate, difficulty opening letters of credit (LCs) and higher import costs, sellers had pushed up the prices of imported fruit in Manikganj around Ramadan, as elsewhere in the country. After two weeks of this, prices have slowly begun to fall, but they remain beyond ordinary buyers.

A visit to the Manikganj bus stand and Dudhbazar fruit markets on Thursday, 26 February, found black grapes selling at Tk 380-550 a kg depending on quality and size, white grapes at Tk 380, red grapes at Tk 550, malta at Tk 280-300, pears at Tk 420, pomegranates at Tk 400-460, oranges at Tk 300-320, golden apples at Tk 360, honey apples at Tk 300, Gala apples at Tk 400, Fuji apples at Tk 320 and South African oranges at Tk 320.

Sellers said that two weeks ago malta sold at Tk 340 a kg, oranges at Tk 340, Fuji apples at Tk 350, golden apples at Tk 380, sweet oranges at Tk 340, red grapes at Tk 600, pomegranates at Tk 520 and pears at Tk 280-300.

Many kinds of dates have arrived for Ramadan. In other years date prices fall at this time because of imports, but this year they have not, because of VAT, taxes and the higher dollar rate; instead they have risen.

In Manikganj, Zahidi dates now sell at Tk 300 a kg, Boroi dates at Tk 500, Mabroom at Tk 1,100, Saudi Mariam at Tk 1,000, Ajwa at Tk 1,290, Kalmi at Tk 800, Medjool at Tk 1,600-1,800, Khurma at Tk 360, Adam at Tk 600 and Sukkari at Tk 800.

Buyer Saikat Khandaker told Jagonews: "I bought some fruit at the start of Ramadan and came to buy again today. I thought that with seven days of fasting gone, prices might have come down a little, but they have not fallen much. For many people fruit is now a luxury."

Fruit seller Anowar Hossain of the Manikganj bus stand area told Jagonews: "Prices were a bit higher two weeks ago. Today I saw they have come down a little."

Fruit seller Dulal Hossain told Jagonews: "Demand for fruit is high in Ramadan. We had to buy at high prices at the wholesale market, so we had to sell at somewhat higher prices. But now demand has fallen and we are having to sell at a loss. Prices may fall further."

Local seasonal fruits, however, are largely within buyers' reach. Sour jujube (boroi) sells at Tk 60 a kg, apple boroi at Tk 100-180, sweet-sour boroi at Tk 100-120, Thai boroi at Tk 150-160 and Ball Sundari boroi at Tk 80-100. Wood apple (bel) sells at Tk 40-50 each, amla at Tk 200 a kg, sapodilla at Tk 120-140, custard apple at Tk 450, papaya at Tk 60, guava at Tk 90-100, pomelo at Tk 50-100 each and pineapple at Tk 30-70 each.

Al-Amin Gazi, who works at a clinic, told Jagonews: "Local fruit is within reach, but imported fruit is very expensive. My children like imported fruit, but I cannot afford it, because buying fruit leaves other essential shopping short. So I am going home with local fruit."

Asaduzzaman Rumel, assistant director of the Manikganj district office of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, said action will be taken if excess prices are charged. Two traders have already been fined, and drives to control essential food markets and protect consumers will continue, he said.

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