FE Report
Prices of soybean and palm oil decreased slightly in the market on Friday after setting the price anew by the refiners, but bottled version stays at the previous level.
Traders said prices of some vegetables witnessed further declined on the day.
After the recent refixation of the bottled soybean oil prices by the leading edible oil companies, loose soybean and palm oil prices decreased slightly as per kg of the eating oil (loose) sold at Tk 92-96 against Tk 100-102 seven days back.
Super palm oil price also reduced to Tk 68-72 per kg which was Tk 76-80 per kg a week back.
Bottled soybean oil is measured in millilitre (ml) while loose edible oil is sold in kilogram system.
However, the leading edible oil companies cut bottled soybean oil prices by Tk 12-14 per litre jar from Tuesday last following a Commerce Ministry directive.
The newly fixed price will enable a customer to buy a litre at Tk 100-102, which was Tk 112-115 per litre earlier.
A commerce ministry official said the ministry at a meeting instructed the refiners to cut soybean oil price as the global price is falling down for last eight months.
"Following the new declaration on bottled soybean oil prices, loose soybean prices also started decline", Md Shafiqe, a grocer at Nowabganjbazar in the city said.
"The government intervention helped force the companies to cut the price", he said.
Consumers alleged that bottled soybean of many brands was yet to be sold at new fixed prices, in many markets in the city.
Prices of cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, local bean, long bean, pointed gourd, bottle gourd, papaya, radish, green banana (kacha kola) and all kinds of vegetable leaf reduced by Tk 2-20 at per kg or per piece or per bunch on the day.
Local bean sold at Tk 40-45 based on their quality, long bean at Tk35-40 per kg, papaya at Tk 15-20 per kg, radish at Tk 10-15 per kg, pointed gourd at Tk 35-40 per kg, bottled gourd at Tk 30-40 per piece (medium sized), tomato at Tk60-80 per kg, indigenous potato (Mete Alu) at Tk 40-45 per kg on the day.
Coriander leaf prices decreased significantly and sold at Tk 100-120 per kg, mustard seed plant at Tk 4-6 per bunch, spinach at Tk 4-6 per bunch on Friday, according to key kitchen markets in the city.
Sponge gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd, edo prices increased by Tk 5-20 per kg in last seven days.
Bitter gourd (Ustha) sold at Tk 70-80 per kg which was Tk 55-60 per kg a week back.
Md Abdul Mannan, a wholesaler at Karwan Bazar in the city, said production of vegetable is outstanding this year due to timely rain and flood in August-October period, which brought lots of silt.
However, prices of most of other essentials were static on Friday compared to that of its previous.
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