Prices of most of the vegetables and key spices which soared recently at the city kitchen markets remained at their previous high on Saturday as a result of ongoing floods in the northern districts, traders said.
Visiting different city kitchen markets on the day, this correspondent found veg and spices, including brinjal, potato, green chilli, onion and ginger, were selling at prices higher than that were two weeks ago.
However, the traders said that there was no supply shortage at the capital's wholesale markets and the produces got dearer in the last 10 days at district level.
Green chilli saw the biggest jump in prices in the last 10 days. Traders said many chilli fields were submerged by flood or rain waters in different producing districts.
The widely consumed perishable item was sold at Tk 250-280 per kilogram (kg) yesterday which was less than half its present prices two weeks back.
Prices of onion, one of the main cooking ingredients, have also shot up in the last one week to reach Tk 65-70 per kg (local) while the imported one to Tk 50-55 at the markets.
Onion prices increased by 30-40 per cent in less than seven days, said Md Monir Hossain, a shopkeeper at Rampura kitchen market.
Local ginger was sold at Tk 240 -250 a kg while imported one at Tk 190-200 on the day, he mentioned.
Garlic, another key cooking spice, also became costlier at the capital's markets in this period. Traders said imported garlic got pricier by Tk 10-15 per kg. It was selling at Tk 110-120 on the day.
Perishable vegs like ladies finger, snake gourd, sweet gourd, bitter gourd, ridge gourd and cucumber were selling at Tk 60-70 a kg.
Round brinjal was sold at Tk 90-100 a kg. The price of the widely used veg rocketed to almost double in the past seven days, said Md Sumon, a vendor at the kitchen market.
Meanwhile, fish market remained stable as the country's vast flooded areas in the rainy season have provided with a plenty of fishes to the consumers.
Motaleb Mia, a fish seller, said Ruhi was sold at Tk 280-350 per kg, Katla at Tk 350-400 a kg, Hilsha at Tk 800-1,000 (one kg and bigger sizes), prawn at Tk 600 per kg, Pabda Tk 550 and Tilapia at Tk 180-200 on the day.
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