Low income groups worst-hit by vegetables price spiral

SIRAJGANJ, Oct 21: Low and middle income consumers of 16 northern districts including Sirajganj, Bogura and Gaibandha are worst-hitby price spiral of vegetables.

However,the growers are happy as they are getting good profit compared to that of previous years.

The authority concernedblames frequent floods visiting the region as the most remarkable cause of price spiral of vegetables.

On the other hand, due to lack of market supervision and regular market monitoring, the prices of perisgable vegetables including potatoes have gone up in several phases. Prices of vegetables andincludinggreen chillies, potatoes, eggplant, beans and radish have gone up sharply.

Sources said that a month ago, the price of potato was Tk 20 to Tk 25 pe kg, eggplant Tk 50 to 60, pumpkin at Tk 25 to 30 per piece, bitter gourd at Tk 40 to 50, red spinach at Tk 30 to 35 per kg in different markets of the region.

Now the wholesale price of the vegetable is almost double at the kitchen markets across the region. The traders of the area are unable to send the vegetables to Dhaka and other big cities for scarcity of the items.

Traders said that the rains and floods have increased the prices of perishable vegetables this year. But this year the supply of vegetables in the market has decreased compared to any other time, by about 35 to 40 percent.

Arup Kumar Kundu, a consumersaid the situation in the vegetable market is now out of control.

Low-income group people are most affected by rising vegetables sprices. Due to lack of monitoring, the price of vegetables has doubled in one month. Traders are blaming the supply crisis for the rise in prices.

They said the supply of perishable vegetables in the market is less than before. As a result, traders have to buy at higher prices and sell at higher prices.

Although the fields are full of vegetables every winter in advance, this time most of the crops, including perishable vegetables, have been destroyed by the floods, which has put pressure on potatoes, said traders.

President of kitchen market samittee in JoypurhatMasudur Rahman said the prices of all vegetables have gone up. The supply of vegetables from the village to the market has now decreased.

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