Vegetable prices in Dhaka rise by Tk 20 to 30 a kilo, and sometimes several times over, between the wholesale market and the retail stall. Traders blame transport costs, market rents and the number of hands the produce passes through, Dhaka Post reported.
Vegetables reach the Sadek Khan wholesale market in Dhaka from Manikganj, Narsingdi, Rajshahi and Pabna. There, bottle gourd sells for Tk 12 to 15 each, cauliflower Tk 32 to 35 each and okra Tk 25 a kilo; a bunch of water spinach costs Tk 3, red amaranth Tk 6, jute leaves Tk 7, radish greens Tk 10 and Malabar spinach Tk 25 to 30. By the 5kg 'palla', papaya is Tk 40, bitter gourd Tk 150, yardlong beans Tk 180, brinjal Tk 300, green chilli Tk 320 and beans Tk 500.
In retail markets the same gourd costs Tk 40 to 50 (Tk 60 to 70 for larger ones), okra Tk 60 to 70 and cauliflower Tk 55 to 60. Tomatoes are Tk 140 a kilo, local carrots Tk 100, Chinese carrots Tk 160, brinjal Tk 80 to 120, early beans Tk 120 to 160, local cucumber Tk 120, green chilli Tk 120 to 140 and coriander leaves Tk 200.
Md Arif, a seller at Taranagar Banijyaloy in the wholesale market, said commission and labour come to 3 to 4 percent, and retailers could sell for less but want to make Tk 1,000 in ten hours on Tk 1,500 of capital. Another wholesaler said farmers do get low prices, but transport fares are built into the price, and produce moves from farmer to local trader to Dhaka wholesaler to retailer to buyer, with the price rising at each step.
A wholesaler at Babul Enterprise said higher fuel prices have added Tk 3,000 to 5,000 to truck fares; a load from Bogura to Dhaka that cost Tk 15,000 now costs Tk 18,000 to 19,000. Overall, he estimated, transport costs are up 25 to 30 percent.
Ramzan Ali, a retailer in Rayerbazar, said he bought 5kg of tomatoes for Tk 500 and sells them at Tk 140 to 150 a kilo; winter vegetables are not yet arriving in quantity, so prices are high. Because vegetables perish, he buys small amounts and must sell the same day, cutting prices as the afternoon wears on and taking a loss on what is left.
Photo: Naga Bazar, Rajshahi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Dhaka Post
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