Edible oil prices go up, vegetables down

FE Report Prices of both loose and bottled edible oil marked a fresh hike, while that of vegetables dipped with the increase of supply in the city's kitchen markets, traders said. They said some unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of the rising demand of soybean oil during the winter season as demand for palm oil drastically fall during the time. Prices of two litre bottled soybean oil of different brands have shot up by Tk 4 per bottle, said the retailers. Five litre bottled of soybean oil of Rupchanda brand is selling at Tk 605-610 and Mostafa, Pusti and Teer brands are at Tk 600. Two litres of Teer, Rupchanda and Pusti brnds were sold at Tk 244 at the retail markets in the capital. Loose soybean oil was also sold at Tk 118-124 per litre in different markets of the capital city. According to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), prices of edible oil increased by Tk 5-6 per lithre last week and 6.57 per cent in a month. Loose edible oil was traded at Tk 112 to Tk 115 per litre Friday which was Tk 106-110 per litre in the previous week though the market price is still higher than that of TCB's rate. Loose Atta was selling between Tk 28 and Tk 30 per kg while prices of two-kg packages ranged from Tk 65 to Tk 66. Flour (Maida) maintained the earlier high trend and loose variety was sold at Tk 38-42 per kg and packed variety at Tk 92 for a two kg packet. Traders said supply increase helped stabilise prices of vegetables. But consumers told the FE the prices of vegetables are still high, even after the arrival of winter varieties. Brinjal prices ranged from Tk 25 to Tk 35 per kg, cucumber at Tk 25, tomato between Tk 50 and Tk 80, bean at Tk 20-50, green papaya between Tk 15 and Tk 18 and potato at Tk 16-18. A medium size cabbage was selling at Tk 20-25 and cauliflower at Tk 20-25. Sugar ranged between Tk 58 and Tk 60 per kg. Rice prices remained stable maintaining the earlier trend.