The first ten days of Ramadan have passed, but there is minimal change in essential market prices, offering little respite to consumers.
Except for onions and eggs, the prices of all food essentials remain high compared to last week.
Meanwhile, potato prices have seen a further increase. Cardinal and Diamant potato varieties were retailing at Tk 40-45 and red carriage varieties at Tk 50-55 per kg, marking a Tk 10 per kg increase over the past seven days.
Fazlul Haider, a vegetable trader at Beribadh-Rayerbazar in the city, said potato prices in district hubs have risen by Tk 8.0-10 per kg in the last two weeks.
He pointed out that as many farmers switched to maize cultivation, potato production is likely to face a decline this year.
Md Rajan Ali, a farmer from Sharsha upazila in Jashore, told The Financial Express that they are selling newly harvested potatoes at Tk 27-27.5 per kg. While the price is 20 per cent higher, they have cultivated less land this year due to higher input costs.
Meanwhile, the prices of sugar, chicken, beef, mutton, fish, spices, vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, dates, khesari pulses, mung beans and fruits remained unchanged, holding steady at their previous highs on Friday.
Broiler chicken was at Tk 210-230 per kg, beef Tk 700-800, mutton Tk 1,100-1,150, cultured ruhi and katla Tk 350-500, chickpeas Tk 105-130 and low to medium grade dates Tk 250-650 per kg.
Onions, however, saw a price drop to Tk 50-60 per kg in retail markets, down from Tk 70-80, due to the beginning of the harvest season across district hubs.
This decline helps both the government and traders avoid imports for now, according to Md Shamser Ali Bepari, a Shyambazar-based importer.
Bangladesh Poultry Association President Md Sumon Hawlader told The Financial Express that egg prices have declined to a three-year low in poultry hubs, reaching Tk 8.5-8.80 per piece due to a decline in demand during Ramadan.
The maximum retail price now stands at Tk 10.25 per piece, which is Tk 0.25-0.50 lower than the price set by the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM).
Out of a total of 29 essential items, only eggs and onions are currently being sold at the DAM-fixed rates.
On March 15, the department set "reasonable and logical prices" for these 29 key essentials, covering the chain from producers to consumers.
"But, implementation of this initiative appears unsuccessful due to a lack of coordination among government agencies under the ministries of agriculture, commerce, fisheries and livestock and home affairs," said Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice President SM Nazer Hossain.
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