With the arrival of winter, markets are filled with fresh vegetables, leading to a drop in prices. Potato prices have come within reach, while onion prices remain the same as last week.
However, the meat market remains as high as ever.
These details were gathered on Friday from the Mirpur 1 kitchen market in Dhaka.
Relief in potato prices, stable onion rates
On Friday, the price of new white, red, and Bogra potatoes has dropped by Tk10-15 per kg. On the other hand, onion prices remain unchanged from last week. However, smaller-sized onions are being sold at Tk5 less. Only local onions were seen in the market on Friday.
Depending on size and quality, new local onions are selling at Tk55-60 per kg, with smaller ones at Tk55 and larger ones at Tk60.
Additionally, new white potatoes are priced at Tk35 per kg, red potatoes at Tk35, and Bogra potatoes at Tk50.
Local garlic is priced at Tk240-250, Chinese garlic at Tk220-230, Chinese ginger at Tk240, and new Indian ginger at Tk120 per kg.
Compared to last week, prices show a Tk10 drop per kilogram for new white potatoes and Bogra potatoes, and a Tk15 drop for red potatoes.
However, Chinese ginger prices have increased by Tk20 per kg, and local garlic prices have risen by Tk10. Chinese garlic prices have dropped by Tk10-20 per kg. Prices of other products remain unchanged.
Potato and onion vendor Md Anwar Hossain said: “Potato prices have dropped significantly and may decrease further. However, onion prices are unlikely to drop as lower prices would cause losses for farmers.”
The price of vegetables has decreased further
The vegetable market has seen a further decline in prices on Friday. Most vegetable prices have decreased, with no increase in any item. Additionally, the prices of some vegetables remain unchanged.
On Friday, sour tomatoes are being sold at Tk60 per kg, green tomatoes at Tk40 per kg, local carrots at Tk50 per kg, beans at Tk30-50 per kg, long eggplants at Tk40 per kg, white round eggplants at Tk50 per kg, black round eggplants at Tk50-60 per kg, cucumbers at Tk30-50 per kg, bitter gourds at Tk70 per kg, papayas at Tk50 per kg, white radishes at Tk20 per kg, red radishes at Tk30 per kg, turnips at Tk20 per kg, okra at Tk80 per kg, pointed gourds at Tk80 per kg, snake gourds at Tk60 per kg, sponge gourds at Tk70 per kg, ridge gourds at Tk60 per kg, yardlong beans at Tk60-70 per kg, onion stalks at Tk50 per kg, taro stems at Tk80 per kg, taro corms at Tk80 per kg, sweet pumpkins at Tk30 per kg, green chilies at Tk80 per kg, and coriander leaves at Tk50 per kg.
In addition, bottle gourds are priced at Tk80 each, ash gourds at Tk60 each, cauliflower at Tk20-30 each, and cabbage at Tk20 each. A bunch of green bananas is being sold for Tk25, and a bunch of lemons is priced at Tk25-30.
Compared to last week, the price of sour tomatoes has dropped by Tk20 per kg, local carrots by Tk10 per kg, beans by Tk10 per kg, long eggplants by Tk10 per kg, cucumbers by Tk10-20 per kg, bitter gourds by Tk10 per kg, white radishes by Tk10 per kg, turnips by Tk20 per kg, sponge gourds by Tk10 per kg, ridge gourds by Tk20 per kg, yardlong beans by Tk20-30 per kg, taro corms by Tk20 per kg, sweet pumpkins by Tk10 per kg, and coriander leaves by Tk10 per kg.
The price of ash gourds has decreased by Tk20 each, cauliflower by Tk5-10 each, and cabbage by Tk10 each.
A bunch of green bananas has dropped by Tk5, and lemons are now Tk5-20 cheaper per bunch. Other vegetable prices have remained unchanged.
The price of all types of meat on the rise
With the New Year approaching, the price of chicken remains high and has not yet reached a reasonable level. Sellers attribute the steady prices to the increase in social events such as picnics and weddings. The same reason has been cited by sellers of beef and mutton.
On Friday, beef is being sold at Tk780 per kg, while mutton is priced at Tk1,150 per kg. Broiler chicken costs Tk197-200 per kg, cock chicken is priced at Tk337-347 per kg, layer chicken at Tk280-290 per kg, and local chicken is sold at Tk550 per kg.
Farm-produced red and white eggs are being sold at Tk130 per dozen.
Compared to last week, the price of broiler chicken has dropped by Tk3 per kg, while cock chicken has increased by Tk2-10 per kg. The price of mutton has risen by Tk50 per kg.
However, the prices of beef, local chicken, and layer chicken remain unchanged, as do the prices of farm-produced eggs.
Regarding the increase in beef prices, Md Abul Kashem, a seller at Molla Meat Store, said: "We purchase at higher prices, so we have to sell at higher prices. It’s beyond our control. As far as I know, the prices won’t decrease, and it might even go up to Tk800 per kg after Shab-e-Barat."
On the rising price of mutton, Md Mahbub, a seller at Abbas Meat Store, said: "Weddings and picnics are happening everywhere now. Demand is high, but the supply of goats is low, so the price has gone up."
A seller also pointed out that the steady price of chicken is due to the ongoing winter season, marked by frequent weddings, picnics, and parties, which have significantly increased demand.
In Friday’s fish market, prices vary depending on size and weight. Ilish fish costs Tk750-2,600 per kg, rohu carp Tk350-650 per kg, catla Tk400-600 per kg, kalibaush Tk500-700 per kg, prawns Tk800-1,500 per kg, kachki fish Tk400 per kg, climbing perch (koi) Tk250-1,000 per kg, pabda fish Tk400-600 per kg, stinging catfish (shing) Tk400-1,000 per kg, tengra fish Tk500-800 per kg, boal fish Tk600-1,000 per kg, snakehead fish (shol) Tk700-1,200 per kg, meni fish Tk600 per kg, clown knife fish (chitol) Tk500-1,000 per kg, sarputi Tk200-400 per kg, and pomfret Tk800-1,200 per kg.
The soybean oil market has yet to stabilize
Despite a month passing since the price hike, the situation remains unchanged. Sellers continue to complain about the inadequate supply of soybean oil, with the amount available falling far short of demand.
Meanwhile, customers at the market point out that although the prices of vegetables, potatoes, and onions have normalized, the prices of grocery items remain high. They urge authorities to focus on reducing the prices of these essential goods.
On Friday, in the market, small lentils are being sold at Tk135 per kg, large lentils at Tk110 per kg, large mung beans at Tk140 per kg, small mung beans at Tk170 per kg, grass pea(khesari) lentils at Tk110 per kg, chickpea lentils at Tk135 per kg, mashkalai lentils at Tk190 per kg, dabli at Tk70 per kg, chickpeas at Tk130 per kg, packeted pilaf rice at Tk150 per kg, and loose pilaf rice ranging from Tk110-140 per kg depending on quality.
Bottled soybean oil costs Tk175 per liter, loose soybean oil is priced at Tk157 per liter, packeted sugar and loose sugar are both sold at Tk125 per kg, a 2-kg packet of flour costs Tk150, a 2-kg packet of flour costs Tk115, and loose mustard oil is sold at Tk190 per liter.
Mahfuzur Rahman, a customer at the market, said: "The prices of vegetables, potatoes, and onions have returned to normal, but grocery prices remain unchanged and excessively high.”
“These items need to be made more affordable; otherwise, people will not feel relief. The government should focus on regulating the prices of these essential products," he added.