The prices of eggs, potatoes, onions and garlic increased last week after the Eid holiday, putting further strain on consumers. However, summer-vegetable prices showed a slight decline during the same period, offering some relief.
Egg prices, which had been stable for around a month, jumped by Tk 10 per dozen within a week. On Friday, brown eggs were retailing at Tk 130-140 and white eggs at Tk 128-135 per dozen in the city, depending on the area.
Potato prices also climbed by Tk 10 per kilogram within a week, reaching Tk 55-60 (Cardinal, Diamant) and Tk 65-70 (BARI 29) on the day.
Local onions were at Tk 55-60 per kg in retail, while imported varieties cost Tk 65-70 per kg, marking a Tk 10 per kg increase over the past week and a half.
Harun-ur-Rashid, a trader at Shyambazar wholesale market in Dhaka, said onion traders in Faridpur and Pabna regions have stored a large chunk of the produce. Meanwhile, imports have almost stopped due to an export ban by India.
According to the trader, farm-level onion prices have been above Tk 30 per kg this year. He predicted that onions would remain above Tk 50 per kg from April onwards.
Bangladesh Cold Storage Association President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury attributed the rise in potato prices to a 20-30 per cent decline in production this year.
This decline, he said, was caused by adverse weather conditions and farmers harvesting immature crops fearing a price drop.
Mr Chowdhury said farm-level potato prices have been above Tk 28 per kg this year, compared to a maximum of Tk 16 per kg last year. He predicted that potato prices too would remain above Tk 50 due to the lower production.
Meanwhile, summer vegetable prices have seen a slight decline. Snake gourd, bitter gourd and pointed gourd were retailing at Tk 50-70 per kg, while long-yard beans were at Tk 70-80 per kg.
Pumpkin prices dropped to Tk 30-35 per kg, and tomatoes and cucumbers were at Tk 50-60 per kg. Bottle gourds were at Tk 50-60 each, marking a Tk 10 decrease per unit compared to last week.
However, the price of imported garlic soared to Tk 230-240 per kg, registering a further increase of Tk 20 per kg.
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