Chicken, veggie prices drop; potato up
FE REPORT | Sunday, 10 November 2024
The prices of chicken and vegetables declined last week, but that of potatoes rose further.
Broiler and sonali chicken prices dropped by Tk 20 a kg, with broiler chicken now selling at Tk 175-190 a kg. The retail price of sonali chicken is Tk 310-330 a kg.
Local onion prices remained static, hovering between Tk 140 and Tk 150 a kg, while imported ones are retailing at Tk 120-130 a kg.
The winter vegetable market also saw a further fall in prices as the supply, including that of cauliflower, cabbage, country bean, bottle gourd, coriander, and other leaves, increased notably.
Cauliflower and cabbage are retailing at Tk 30-50 per piece, bottle gourd at Tk 40-60 per piece, and country bean at Tk 80-120 a kg, depending on quality.
Pointed gourd, snake gourd, ridge gourd, and sponge gourd prices dropped to Tk 55-65 a kg, marking a decline of Tk 10 a kg.
Meanwhile, brinjal, bitter gourd, and teasel gourd prices remain unchanged. They are selling at Tk 80-100 a kg.
Potato prices have reached a record level this year, hitting Tk 70-75 a kg in the city and elsewhere in the country.
Md Farid, a salesman at Bismillah Store in West Dhanmondi, said potatoes had been sold at Tk 65 per kg last Friday, a Tk 5 increase from the previous week. The price had hovered around Tk 60 a kg in groceries two weeks ago, he added.
Zahedul Islam, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said potato prices in cold storages were Tk 58-61 a kg, compared to Tk 50-52 per kg a week earlier.
He said last year's potato stock was depleting amid the rising demand for seed potatoes among farmers, adding the prices of such potatoes had shot up to above Tk 85 a kg.
The trader also said the fields of early potato varieties in Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Rangpur districts had witnessed damage in August and October due to adverse weather, which delayed the harvest, resulting in the current jump in prices.
Prices would come down once the harvest of new crops began, he added.
Meanwhile, the prices of rice, beef, and fish showed a static trend last week. Rice prices retained the previous highs as coarse varieties are retailing at Tk 55-56 a kg, while the medium and fine ones are sold for Tk 68-70 a kg and Tk 75-90 a kg, respectively.