With only one or two days left for the fasting month of Ramadan to begin, prices of beef, chicken, potato, a few pulses, riverine fish and vegetables witnessed a fresh hike last week.
Despite the hike, the current prices of all essentials, except for rice and edible oil, are static or lower now than those of the last Ramadan, according to kitchen market sources.
Beef price has surged by Tk20-30 a kg as it is being sold at Tk780-820 each kg while potato shows Tk5.0 hike per kg as is retailed at Tk25-30 each kg.
Broiler chicken is retailed at Tk200-210 a kg and Pakistani or Sonali chicken at Tk310-320 a kg, marking a Tk10 hike per kg in a week.
Chickpea price shows an upheaval as the price declined to Tk100-120 a kg from Tk110-140 a kg and then again increased by Tk5.0- 10 a kg. The retail price is now Tk105-130 a kg based on quality.
Sugar and onion prices remain static at Tk120-125 and Tk45-55 a kg respectively.
Date prices witness a decline with an increase in supply from the importers' end, say traders.
Lower quality dates are retailed at Tk180-200, medium ones at Tk300-500 and finer varieties at Tk600-1400 a kg.
Noyon Islam, a grocer at Rayer Bazar, says the prices of pulses and potato have increased slightly. But the current prices of those products are Tk10-20 less than a year ago.
He says sugar, onion, ginger and garlic are also cheaper this year than last year.
However, volatility in the edible oil market continues as one litre, two litre or five litre bottles of soybean oil are yet to be supplied by the distributors to the groceries.
Soybean oil is being traded at Tk185-200 a litre by grocers and vendors against the maximum retail price of Tk175.
Rice prices remain static at previous highs as coarse varieties of rice are sold at Tk60-62, medium varieties at Tk 70-72 and finer varieties at Tk85-100 a kg.
Prices of riverine fish showed a further hike last week by Tk50-100 a kg. Shoul fish is retailed at Tk650-900 a kg, shrimp at Tk750-1,450 a kg, tengra and golsha at Tk 600-850 a kg, river ruhi at Tk700-1,250 a kg, boaal at Tk 950-1,200 a kg, kachki at Tk700-800 a kg and hilsa at Tk 1,050-2,250 a kg depending on sizes.
Puffed rice price has increased slightly by Tk10 a kg but molases is static.
Meanwhile, prices of brinjal, cucumber and coriander leaves have increased by Tk10-20 a kg ahead of the Ramadan.
Prices of most of the vegetables are much lower this Ranadan than those of the last year, says Abdul Gafur Mia, a vendor at Mohammadpur Krishi Market.
However, lemon prices showed a double hike last week as it is being retailed at Tk50-70 a hali (four pieces).
Cucumber and brinjal prices have increased by Tk20 a kg in a week as those were sold at Tk 60-80 a kg on Friday.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh vice president SM Nazer Hossain says despite the approaching Ramadan, the edible oil market in Bangladesh continues to experience instability.
This volatility is causing a significant concern among consumers, especially during a time when demand typically rises, he said.
He added refiners in the mid-February had announced that supply of edible oil would normalise by February 26.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
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