Blockade pushes up prices of essentials

FE Report
Prices of many essentials increased significantly in the last seven days, with traders attributing the hike to the ongoing blockade that has paralysed the capital's transportation with rest of the country.
Prices of beef, poultry birds, fish, garlic, loose soybean, and many a varieties of vegetables rose by 8-50 per cent on Friday, compared with a week ago.
Beef was sold at Tk 310-320, broiler at Tk 140-145, garlic at Tk 100 (Chinese) and Tk 90 (local), loose soybean at Tk 115-118 per kg on the day -- Tk 10-30 per kg hike in seven days.
Selim Sheikh, a meat trader at Nowabganjbazar in the city, said supply of Indian cows has declined as hundreds of trucks are stuck up on the border areas due to the blockade, which caused a rise in beef prices.
He said a cow weighs 80 kgs is now sold at Tk 22,000-23,000, which was Tk 18,000-19,000 in the pre-blockade period.
Md Harun, a grocer at Banalata Kitchen Market under Newmarket area, said price of soybean shot up at the Moulovibazar wholesale market in the city.
Most of the traders have no supply of oil, which has caused the hike, he said.
Vegetables including tomato, bean, cauliflower, cabbage, few leaf vegetables, bitter gourd, pumpkin, bottle gourd rose by Tk 5-10 per kg or per piece.
Bitter gourd was selling at Tk 65-70 per kg, tomato at Tk 30-35 per kg, cauliflower at Tk 15-20 per piece (medium sized).
Chilli price increased by Tk 20-25 per kg and sold at Tk 60-70 per kg.
Md Abdul Latif, president of Karwan Bazar Kanchamal Aratdar Baboshayee Samity, an association of vegetable wholesalers, said: "The ongoing blockade has badly affected the supply chain of vegetables in the city markets."
He said supply of agro produces from the north-western districts has declined by more than 70 per cent.
Nearly 280-300 trucks enter Karwan Bazar in normal a day, which has declined to 80-90 now, with most coming mainly from nearby districts.
He said if this trend continues, prices of vegetables will rise further.
Prices of fish, including farm and indigenous varieties, increased by Tk 50-100 per kg or per piece in the last seven days.
Shoul was sold at Tk 400-450 per kg, shing and magur at Tk 750-950 per kg, and pangash at Tk 120-125 per kg.
Hilsa prices increased by Tk 50-100 per piece as supply of marine Hilsa decreased significantly, Hatim Ali, a fish trader at the Showarighat wholesale said.
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