Essentials' prices rise by 16.09pc last fiscal: CAB

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Jasim Uddin Haroon
The average price of essential commodities across the country rose by 16.09 per cent in fiscal 2006-07, said the Consumer Association Bangladesh (CAB).
The CAB said it analysed the prices of 16 essential commodities and compiled the data from primary sources.
Prices of edible oil, powdered milk, meat, flour, rice, vegetables, tea and fuel registered a sharp rise in the fiscal year.
However, the prices of salt and some finer quality rice remained steady during the period.
The prices of edible oil rose by 55.09 per cent. The average prices of edible oil was Tk 53 each litre in July, 2006.
The average price of per litre edible oil rose to Tk 82 in June 2007.
The price of powdered milk rose by 28.32 per cent during the period. The average price of the item was Tk 255 a kilogram (kg) in July, 2006. Its price rose to Tk 327 a kg in June, 2007, the CAB study shows.
It also shows that the average per kg price of meat, including beef, chicken and goat rosy by 12.33 per cent during the period.
The average price of per kg meat was Tk 144.66 in July in 2006 and it rose to 162.50 in June in 2007.
The prices of flour rose by 29.17 per cent during the year.
The average price of the item was at Tk 24 a kg in July, 2006 and it rose by Tk 5.0 a kg in July, 2007.
The average price of different varieties rice rose by 16.79 per cent in the year.
The average price of the different categories rice was 27.94 per kg in July, 2006. It rose by Tk 4.0 each in June in 2007.
The prices of vegetables rose by 13.28 per cent in the year.
The average price of vegetables was recorded at Tk 20.33 a kg while it rose to Tk 23.37 in June in 2007, the CAB study shows.
In the meantime, the prices of different varieties of rice rose by at least Tk 1.0 a kg in the retail market over the past couple of days.
The prices of wheat also rose by Tk 2.0 a kg during the period in the country's kitchen markets, according to market operators.
The city's wholesale market traders said that the prices of rice and wheat rose due to price hike in the international market.
Thailand-based international market prices of rice witnessed a US$5.0 dollar price hike per tonne over the past one week.
The international price of 5.0 per cent broken rice is US$ 339 per tonne against its previous $ 334. However, It is $ 300 per tonne of 25 per cent broken rice compared with $ 295 previously.