After rising for several weeks, vegetable prices in Rajshahi started to fall this week. Almost every vegetable is down by as much as Tk 5-10 in a week. Traders say supply has risen because the weather has improved, so prices have fallen.

A visit to Rajshahi's Saheb Bazar on Saturday, 26 July, found prices of all kinds of vegetables had fallen. Bitter gourd, sold at Tk 30 a kg last week, is selling at Tk 25 this week. Pointed gourd has fallen from Tk 50 to Tk 40-45, teasel gourd from Tk 80 to Tk 70 and aubergine from Tk 60 to Tk 50. Cucumber is selling at Tk 110-150 a kg. Ridge gourd, papaya and taro cost Tk 30-40, while carrots and tomatoes have reached Tk 120 to Tk 150 a kg.

Alongside vegetables, the fish market is also stable, with almost all fish selling at last week's prices. Prawns are selling at Tk 1,000 a kg. Rui and katla weighing one kg were earlier Tk 230. Large pangas is selling at Tk 250 and silver carp at Tk 180-250. There is some relief in the chilli market, where prices have come down to Tk 120-150 in a week.

Chicken is selling at last week's prices: Sonali chicken at Tk 300 a kg and broiler at Tk 160-170. As before, deshi chicken sells at Tk 650 to 680, beef at Tk 750 to 800 and mutton at Tk 1,100 to 1,200 a kg, and eggs at Tk 120 to 130 a dozen.

Local traders say vegetable prices have fallen because the rain has stopped.

Shafiqul Islam, a vegetable seller at Saheb Bazar, said supply of vegetables to the market has risen as the weather has improved, so prices of all kinds of vegetables have fallen by Tk 5 to 10.

Another vegetable seller, Md Rana, said that although this is not the vegetable season, many vegetables are now coming to market because there has been no continuous rain, so wholesale prices are falling.

The rice market is also stable, with all kinds of rice selling at last week's prices. Miniket rice of Manjur, Rashid, Sagar and other companies is selling at Tk 75 to 80 a kg, and rice of the Diamond, Horin and Mozammel companies at Tk 85. Atash rice is selling at Tk 65, and coarse rice, as before, at Tk 52 to 55.

Md Sweet, a rice seller at Saheb Bazar, said farmers' paddy has gone into mill owners' warehouses, and they are using this opportunity to raise rice prices at will, so rice has to be sold at higher rates. But prices did not rise this week because supply increased, and the rice is selling at the old prices.

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