Meat, fish up; onion, vegetable down

The prices of all kinds of meat and fish witnessed a further hike last week just a few days ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
Beef, cultured fish, hilsa and other riverine fish, broiler chicken and kok or Sonali chicken saw a surge of Tk 20-100 per kg.
Beef was sold at Tk 750-850 a kg, depending areas of the capital, marking Tk 30-50 a kg further hike.
Broiler chicken shot up to Tk 220-230 a kg, kok to Tk 350-270 a kg and local indigenous chicken to Tk 650-750 a kg.
Cultured ruhi, katla and boal was sold at Tk 350-650 a kg depending on size -- Tk 50 surge in the price of big-size fish a kg.
Hilsa price hit Tk 1,250 to Tk 2,250 a kg based on quality and size, according to the prices of three kitchen markets in the capital.
Riverine Ruhi was retailed at Tk 750-1200 a kg in Newmarket Banalata Bazar and Karwan Bazar.
Riverine aair, boal was retailed at Tk 950-1100 a kg, marking a hike of Tk 100.
Hasibur Rahman Hashu, a Jatrabari-based fish trader, says fish netting has declined in the rivers and canals notably this year than last year's.
He also says it is an off-season of Hilsa which is also a reason for higher prices of other riverine fish.
Beef prices usually define prices of other meat and cultured fish prices, he adds.
The trader further said the recent hike in the beef prices increased a demand for cultured fish, broiler and kok chicken.
Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) vice-president SM Nazer Hossain said the prices of beef, chicken and fish had been rising tectonically mostly for lack of monitoring.
It is clear that there is a lack of coordination among agriculture, commerce, food, industry and home ministries which is the key reason that traders are getting courage to manipulate market.
He said a lax market drive has been encouraging traders to fix prices at their own.
Meanwhile, the prices of brinjal, bottle gourd, cucumber, lemon, papaya, leafy showed a decline by Tk 5.0-20 a kg or bunch.
But, early summer crop like long-yard bean, clocasia stem, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, snake gourd were retailing at previous high of Tk 80-110 a kg.
Potato remained at previous high of Tk 45-50 (cardinal/granola) and Tk 60-65 (BRRI alu 29 or 'red carriage') a kg.
However, local onion prices dropped to Tk 45-55 a kg, marking Tk 10 a decline, thanks to the beginning of harvest of the crop at a time in key growing districts, said traders.

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