No progress in forming cooperatives among district-level growers as yet
Friday, 13 July 2007
FE Report
Prices of most essential items shot up by almost 2.0 per cent to 45 per cent in the local market during last one month as a government move to establish cooperative among the district-level growers still remained at a decision-making level.
"Prices of 12 out of 15 daily essential commodities went up in the last one month due to inclement weather and international price-hike," said the price monitoring committee head, Mostakim Ahmed, after an inter-ministerial meeting Thursday.
Mostakim, additional secretary of the ministry of commerce, said the prices of ginger and onion increased by 45.23 per cent and 34.22 per cent respectively.
Besides, the prices went up for both coarse and fine varieties of rice by 4.78 per cent and 5.66 per cent and powdered milk by nearly 10 per cent.
The meeting, attended by officials of different ministries and agencies, has decided to send letters to the deputy commissioners with the directives of forming cooperatives among the district-level growers.
The decision on formation of cooperatives among the district-level growers to bring a dimension to local marketing channel, which is allegedly dominated by middlemen, was taken at a meeting on June 13 last.
However, the meeting reviewed that there was no satisfactory progress on formation of cooperatives, sources said.
It also asked the ministry of industry to take necessary steps so that some 50 closed small edible oil refineries could resume their production.
The meeting was told that Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) had finally received response to its tender for the import of onion after many futile attempts over the past several months.
The TCB will market the onion during the holy month of Ramadan when the consumption of the item shoots up significantly.
While reviewing the price situation of the most essential daily items, the meeting found that the prices of flour, edible oil, lentil, potato, dry chilly, turmeric and eggs had increased.
It also found that the prices of palm oil, sugar, and garlic fell slightly in the local market during the last one month.
Prices of most essential items shot up by almost 2.0 per cent to 45 per cent in the local market during last one month as a government move to establish cooperative among the district-level growers still remained at a decision-making level.
"Prices of 12 out of 15 daily essential commodities went up in the last one month due to inclement weather and international price-hike," said the price monitoring committee head, Mostakim Ahmed, after an inter-ministerial meeting Thursday.
Mostakim, additional secretary of the ministry of commerce, said the prices of ginger and onion increased by 45.23 per cent and 34.22 per cent respectively.
Besides, the prices went up for both coarse and fine varieties of rice by 4.78 per cent and 5.66 per cent and powdered milk by nearly 10 per cent.
The meeting, attended by officials of different ministries and agencies, has decided to send letters to the deputy commissioners with the directives of forming cooperatives among the district-level growers.
The decision on formation of cooperatives among the district-level growers to bring a dimension to local marketing channel, which is allegedly dominated by middlemen, was taken at a meeting on June 13 last.
However, the meeting reviewed that there was no satisfactory progress on formation of cooperatives, sources said.
It also asked the ministry of industry to take necessary steps so that some 50 closed small edible oil refineries could resume their production.
The meeting was told that Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) had finally received response to its tender for the import of onion after many futile attempts over the past several months.
The TCB will market the onion during the holy month of Ramadan when the consumption of the item shoots up significantly.
While reviewing the price situation of the most essential daily items, the meeting found that the prices of flour, edible oil, lentil, potato, dry chilly, turmeric and eggs had increased.
It also found that the prices of palm oil, sugar, and garlic fell slightly in the local market during the last one month.