As Bangladesh enters the peak harvest season, consumers find themselves entangled in a web of escalating prices of essential commodities, including rice, potato, vegetable and onion.
Despite the Aman harvest going on in full swing, rice prices are rising alarmingly, causing concerns among consumers.
Coarse rice varieties like Swarna, 'BRRI dhan 11' and hybrids are fetching Tk 52-55 per kg at retail markets in the capital, marking a rise of Tk 5.0 a kg in the last one and a half weeks.
Medium and finer quality rice has also marked an increase of Tk 5.0-7.0 a kg as retailed at Tk 62-98 a kg.
Hazrat Ali, a rice trader, highlights the record prices of Swarna varieties, selling at Tk 1,100-1,150 a maund (40 kg).
When farmers rejoice at the high prices, general consumers voice concerns.
He said the government has fixed offer price of rice at Tk 44 a kg for its Aman season procurement, which fuelled up the price to Tk 43-44 a kg at mill gates from Tk 39-40 a kg in October.
Millers have also bought a large amount of paddy through their agents and allied traders for the next five months' trading until the next Boro harvest, he added.
Secretary of the Bangladesh Auto Major Husking Mill Owners Association (BMHMOA) KM Layek Ali notes a record price of paddy, driven by fears of its production decline.
Secretary of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said most of the millers are also importers.
They supply rice to the government on a regular basis under the procurement drive while they also get priority over importing rice.
"Millers have the full control over the market and previously they were found guilty of manipulating market," Mr Bhuiyan said.
As the government demands rice production is going to make a new record of 17.1 million tonnes during this Aman harvest season, it should start strict monitoring to sort out the reasons behind such the tectonic hike in rice prices, he suggests.
And import channels should be opened to break the absolute control of the millers to give the staple to consumers at an affordable rate, he also suggests.
Meanwhile, potato prices have marked a surge this season as retail price is still hovering between Tk 60 and Tk 70 a kg -- which is nearly 145 per cent higher than that of last year, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) data.
Limited supply and collaborations between traders and cold-storage owners contribute to this price hike.
Riadh Hossain, a grocer at West Dhanmondi, notes the inflated rates for both the stored and freshly harvested potatoes.
The potato cultivation delayed due to cyclones in October last year led to a scarcity in December, but a favourable weather condition prompted large-scale cultivation and supply increased in January this year, said Md Belal, a trader at Karwan Bazar.
While anticipating a robust harvest of 11.6 million tonnes by April 2024 as per the agriculture ministry calculation, consumers are left with no affordable options due to the recent price hikes.
The collaboration between traders and cold-storage owners exacerbates the situation, leaving consumers grappling with higher prices, said AHM Shofiquzzaman, head of the Directorate of the National Consumers Right Protection.
Meanwhile, vegetable prices at farms have witnessed a decline in the last two weeks, but consumers in Dhaka faced inflated prices due to substantial gaps between fields and city kitchen markets.
Winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, country bean, cucumber, tomato, radish, carrot, turnip, seasonal brinjal and bottle gourds are selling at Tk 50 to Tk 100 a kg or a piece during this peak harvest season, according to kitchen market sources.
The current prices of winter vegetables are above 43 per cent higher on an average than that of last year, according to the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
Onion prices are still Tk 80-100 per kg which is 125 per cent higher than that of last year, according to TCB.
DAM's research director Omar Md Imrul Mohsin said prices have dropped at the farm level but hardly impacted the city markets.
Cyclonic storms in October temporarily disrupted vegetable production, but recent favourable weather conditions raise hopes for meeting production targets, he said.
He highlights the absence of regulation in the vegetable market, pointing out inflated prices during the peak harvest season.
DAE director general Badal Chandra Biswas sheds light on the onion scenario, where seed onion or Murikata and summer varieties have entered the market, offering some relief.
However, the main onion varieties 'Taherpuri' or 'Haali's expected yield of 2.6 to 2.8 million tonnes is likely to give some respite.
The cultivation of high-yielding varieties on vast tracts of land offers prospects of higher production, he said.
Farm economist Prof Dr Rashidul Hasan has underscored the need for increased farmer participation and regulatory market drives to reduce the price gap.
He said as consumers are facing challenges amid the rising prices of staple commodities during a peak harvest season when they usually get some relief.
He put high emphasis on swift regulatory measures, market interventions and increased agricultural efficiency to ensure affordability and sustainability for consumers.
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