DAM study finds 10-80pc price hike in two weeks

FE Team | Published: August 08, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

FE Report
Prices of most commodities including fish, meat, egg, vegetables, pulse and spices further increased on Friday compared to those of the previous week, according to kitchen market sources in the city.
The latest study of Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) on market trend revealed that commodity prices increased by 10-80 per cent over the last two weeks.
The DAM data showed prices of onion, most of vegetables, egg were even higher than that of the month of Ramadan.
Traders claimed that prices of vegetables and some spices increased due to the incessant rain in the growing hubs that caused damage to the farms.
Meanwhile, the recent flood which hit the wholesale market in the port city of Chittagong has caused hike in some essentials including lentil and spices (garam masala), they said.
The cheapest vegetables in the market were papaya and cucumber that sold at Tk 40 per kg on Friday.
Most other vegetables were sold at Tk 50-90 per kg. Off-season local bean was sold at Tk 160-200 per kg.
Long bean sold at Tk 80-90, bitter gourd (ustha) at Tk 70-75 and korola at Tk 60-65, pointed gourd at Tk 50-60, ridge gourd at Tk 60-65, sponge gourd at Tk 50-60, tomato at Tk 60-80, brinjal at Tk 50-70, potato at Tk 24-25, coriander leaf at Tk 400 per kg on the day.
DAM kitchen market study across the seven divisional cities showed that vegetable prices increased by 10-80 per cent in last two weeks.
President of Karwan Bazar Kanchamal Aratdar Baboshayee Samity Md Abdul Latif told the FE that rain has damaged a vast area under vegetable farming which caused the hike.
He said rain damaged crop fields in Jessore, Chittagong, Barisal, Faridpur, Noakhali, and Comilla regions.
He said Dohajari in Chittagong is one of the key vegetable suppliers in the country.
Not a single truck (laden with vegetables) has come to Dhaka from Dohajari in last two weeks as the union has totally been inundated, he said.
He said market is now totally depending on northern and north-eastern and central regions.
The district level traders have raised the prices of vegetables in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogra, Pabna, Kushtia and Narsingdi, he said.
However, the regional offices of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) confirmed the FE that nearly 0.12 million hectares of crop fields have severely been damaged by the incessant rain coupled with the cyclonic storm 'Komen'.
Egg price increased to Tk 36 per four pieces on Friday which was Tk 32 seven days back. According to DAM, egg price is 28.5 per cent higher than that of the month of Ramadan.
Haji Badaruddin Chakladar (Raihan), an egg dealer at Beribadh area adjacent to Nowabganj Bazar, told the FE that the sky rocketing hike in fish and meat prices have caused rise in demand for egg which is responsible for the surge in its prices.
He said the price of egg is now hovering between Tk 7,000-7,200 per thousand at Gazipur, Savar hubs which was less than Tk 6,500 during the Ramadan.
He said the price of egg remains cheaper in the Ramadan as demand of the confectionery industry for egg normally declines during the month.
Hilsa prices which declined after the Ramadan witnessed a hike again.
A medium sized (700-800 grams) hilsa was sold at Tk 900-1000 on the day while a small-sized one (500-650 gm) was sold at Tk 500-600, marking a Tk 100-150 hike in a week.
While the DAM data revealed that prices of the national fish increased by 20-25 per cent in two weeks.
Most other fishes were dearer by Tk 50-100 per kg.
Onion prices increased by Tk 15-18 per kg in last two weeks, according to the key kitchen markets.
Local onion was sold at Tk 58-65 per kg while the Indian variety at Tk 55-60 per kg on Friday.
Lentil (Nepalese variety) was sold at Tk 120-122 per kg on the day which was Tk 108-110 per kg seven days back.
President of Bangladesh Dal Baboshayee Samity Haji Shafi said prices of lentil and garam masala (imported spices including cumin seed, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, etc) have increased slightly due to the recent flood in Chittagong that damaged a huge volume of products in Khatunganj and Asadganj wholesale markets.
Broiler chicken price increased to Tk 165-170 per kg which was Tk 155-160 per kg seven days back. But ginger and garlic were only the two essentials whose prices declined on Friday.
Ginger of local variety was sold at Tk 90-95 per kg while Chinese variety was traded at Tk 120-130 per kg, registering Tk 15-20 reduction in a week. Garlic of local variety was sold at Tk 60-65 and Chinese variety at Tk 80-90 per kg on the day.
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