The prices of all types of chicken like broiler, layer, domestic, Pakistani and Sonali chickens have gone up in kitchen markets in Dhaka along with the escalating prices of essential commodities.
While visiting the Shah Ali Kitchen Market of Mirpur area, vendors said that the price of chicken rises slightly every year during this time. Moreover, sources from Mohammadpur Krishi Market and Karwan Bazar also echoed that opinion.
The vendors also said that the demand for chickens has increased in the market in the last few weeks, and compared to the demands, there is no adequate supply of chicken in the market.
They also said they have to buy chickens at high prices from the wholesale market which has, in turn, affected the retail market, also blaming the rising costs of transportation on top of that.
According to the state-owned organization Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), broiler chicken was selling at Tk170 per kg, which was Tk160-Tk165 last week and Tk145 last month.
Moreover, the domestic chicken was selling at Tk500 per kg, which was Tk450 last week, and Tk420 last month.
According to the market insiders from Shah Ali Kitchen Market, layer chicken was selling at Tk250 to Tk260per kg at the market while it was Tk230 to Tk240 per kg last week.
The vendors were selling Pakistani and Sonali chickens at Tk330 to Tk340per kg which was Tk290 per kg last week, they added.
Ashraful Islam Rony, a customer from the Tolarbagh area said that not only chickens, the price of everything in the market have gone up abnormally.
He also mentioned purchasing below his required amount due to the high price.
He added that in the coming month of Ramadan, the broiler chicken market may touch Tk200 per kg.
It is necessary to find out whether the supply of chicken in the market is less or the price is being increased artificially by a syndicate, he suggested.
Shaheen, a vendor from Shah Ali market, said that such a situation will return to normal once the supply increases.
The price of rice remained unchanged from last week, being sold at Tk50 and fine rice for Tk70 per kg.
But the prices of lentils, however, experienced a fresh hike, the coarse variant was sold at Tk105 per kg, which was Tk100 last week, though the fine variant remained unchanged from last week, being sold at Tk120 per kg.
The price of flour remained unchanged from last week, but vendors fear that it too may increase.
The price of soybean oil and palm oil remains unchanged from that of last week, Tk830 for a five-litre soybean bottle, Tk170 for per litre soybean oil bottle, and Tk155 for per litre of palm oil.
Moreover, the prices of green chilli, beans, and tomatoes also increased within a week.
The prices of local onion, Indian and Burma varieties of onion maintained the same prices of last week, local and imported sold for Tk50 to Tk60 per kg.
The price of garlic, ginger, turmeric and red chilli also maintained the same price as last week, which is much higher compared to last month.
Imported ginger was selling at Tk110 a kg and the local one was selling at Tk140 per kg, which was Tk100 and Tk120 respectively, and eggs were being sold at Tk115 a dozen.
According to traders and consumers, the prices of almost all the daily essentials are still very high.
Moreover, all kinds of vegetables experienced the same prices both in wholesale and retail levels maintaining the previous hike, according to vegetable traders, vendors and consumers.
The price of pumpkins, bitter gourd, pointed gourd and newly harvested potatoes remained steady in the past few days.
Vegetable vendors also said that the season for winter vegetables has almost ended, so the price is increasing a little bit.
The wholesale prices of cauliflowers and beans of all varieties were Tk35 to Tk40 and Tk20 to Tk30 respectively, they said.
The newly-harvested diamond variety of potato was selling at Tk15 to Tk20per kg at the market.
