A file photo shows a partial view of a kitchen market in the capital, Dhaka. The prices of daily essential commodities including rice and vegetables have gone up in the city markets as the current spate of floods disrupted the supply chain as well as the agricultural production across the country. — New Age photo
The prices of daily essential commodities including rice and vegetables have gone up in the city markets as the current spate of floods disrupted the supply chain as well as the agricultural production across the country.
Traders said the prices of rice had witnessed a downward trend in recent weeks due to imports of the item but the prices increased again in last couple of days as floods triggered by heavy rainfalls and onrush of upstream water disrupted the supply chain.
They said that the prices of vegetables also shot up in the city markets due to a supply shortage as floods and downpours damaged farms across the country.
The prices of rice increased by Tk 2 a kilogram at the retail market in the city, while the wholesale prices of the staple rose by Tk 1 a kg.
The coarse variety of rice was selling at Tk 45-48 a kg while BR-28 rice was retailing at Tk 50-52 a kg in the city markets on Tuesday.
The coarse variety of Miniket rice was retailing at Tk 55 a kg, while its fine variety was selling at Tk 58-60 a kg.
Zakir Hossain, a retailer at Karwan Bazar, told New Age that the prices of rice had decreased as imported rice hit the market but the prices increased a bit in last couple of days due to heavy rainfalls.
Bangladesh Rice Merchants Association vice-president Zakir Hossain Rony said that recently the wholesale prices of rice increased by Tk 1 a kg as floods and downpours disrupted the supply chain and the paddy prices rose.
According to Roni, the coarse variety of rice was selling at Tk 40-42 a kg, BR-28 rice at Tk 44-46 a kg and Miniket rice at Tk 48-53 a kg on the wholesale market in the capital, Dhaka.
He said that the prices of rice would not increase more due to floods but if floods lingered, the cultivation of Aman would be hampered, Roni said.
Despite huge import of onion, traders were seen retailing the commodity at high prices on Tuesday, showing excuse of price hike of the item in India.
Md Mazed, an onion trader at Shyambazar in Old Dhaka, said that more than 50 per cent of local onions that were stored by farmers using traditional methods had got rotten due to floods and downpours in several parts of the country.
He said the price hike of onion in India was also one of the reasons for the increase in the prices of the commodity in the local market as Bangladesh meets the demand for the item through import from India.
According to the data of state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the prices of local onion increased by 123.40 per cent in one month while the prices of imported onion rose by 108.33 per cent.
The local variety of onion was retailing at Tk 60-70 a kg, while the imported variety was selling at Tk 50-50 a kg on Tuesday.
The prices of vegetables increased by Tk 10-20 a kg in last three days.
Aubergine was selling at Tk 60-80 a kg, bitter gourds at Tk 60-80 a kg, bottle gourd at Tk 60 a piece, okra at Tk 60 a kg, papaya at Tk 40 a kg on Tuesday. Green chilli was selling at Tk 160 a kg, cucumber at Tk 60-80 a kg and tomato at Tk 160 a kg.
The price of egg increased by Tk 4 a hali (four pieces) and the item was selling at Tk 34- 38 a hali in the city markets on Tuesday.
Source: New Age
