Supply of perishable goods increased to some extent in the market on Wednesday but their prices still remained high at the retail level.
Following a relaxation in curfew as well as security assurance by the law enforcing agencies, arrival of goods-laden trucks increased at Karwan Bazar, Badamtoli, Babubazar, Shyambazar and Moulovibazar wholesale markets in the city on Wednesday, according to trading sources.
However, consumers were yet to get benefit from the rising supply as they had to spend Tk 110-120 a kg for vegetables like brinjal on Wednesday.
Shaheen Alam, a vegetable vendor at East Rayer Bazar, said wholesale price of brinjal was Tk 90-95 a kg at Beribadh-Rayerbazar wholesale market on the day marking only Tk 5.0 a kg decline in a day.
Alam was selling long and round purple brinjal at Tk 120 while round green brinjal at Tk 110 a kg.
He said teasel gourd, eddo, clocasia stem; bitter gourd prices showed only Tk 4.0-6.0 a kg reduction at the wholesale level.
"We are selling eddo at Tk 80 a kg against wholesale price of Tk 70-72 a kg," he said.
Alam also said that prices of green chilli declined further to Tk 200-220 a kg at wholesale level while the retail rate was Tk 250-300 a kg.
However, green chilli price hit a record Tk 600 a kg on Sunday but reduced to Tk 300-350 a kg the very next day (Monday).
Rafiqul Islam, a Karwan Bazar-based trader, said number of vegetable-laden trucks increased by 30-40 per cent on Wednesday.
Prices also showed a notable decline at the wholesale level on the day, he claimed.
He said brinjal was sold at maximum Tk 70 a kg at Karwan Bazar wholesale market.
He, however, said the market was yet to get back normalcy which is causing an abnormal price gap between wholesale and retail.
Meanwhile, rice prices witnessed Tk 2.0-3.0 a kg hike three days back which traders attributed to the squeeze in supply for the countrywide curfew.
Coarse rice soared to Tk 55 a kg, medium rice to Tk 64-66 a kg and finer variety rice to Tk 72-90 a kg.
Contacted, Md Najrul Islam, a rice trader at Mohammadpur Agricultural Market, said supply of rice has increased to some extent from Wednesday.
He claimed millers have raised prices of all varieties of rice by Tk 1.0-1.5 a kg in last one week.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said the government should immediately take necessary measures to keep supply of essential commodities smooth and sound.
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