In the kitchen markets of the capital, the cost of eggs and poultry is once again on the rise.
A dozen eggs now cost Tk150 instead of Tk140 three days ago, according to market insiders, who claim a Tk10 increase in price.
The information comes from a number of kitchen markets in the capital, including Karwan Bazar, Kanthal Bagan, Mohammadpur, and Shah Ali. The price of eggs has gone up in the past three to four days, according to the information gathered from these markets.
Farm (broiler) chicken eggs are often available in two colours: white and brown, with white eggs typically costing a little less than the brown variant.
The cost of brown eggs from farm chickens had previously increased to Tk165 per dozen and then decreased to Tk120 per dozen two or three months earlier.
However, according to market insiders, the price of brown eggs increased to Tk130-Tk140 per dozen over the past week and then again to Tk150 per dozen today.
“The price of eggs is going through a turbulent situation for a few months. Three or four months ago, it was available at Tk110 per dozen. I bought it three days ago for Tk140 but today, it went up by Tk10 per dozen to Tk150,” said Matiur Rahman, a buyer from Shah Ali kitchen market in the Mirpur area.
Additionally, he added that this price only applied to larger kitchen markets, such as Karwan Bazar, Shah Ali, Town Hall, etc.
"But if you get it from neighbourhood stores, you will need to pay an additional two to three Taka for a dozen eggs," he continued.
Although there is no shortage of eggs, Shah Ali Kitchen Market vendors claimed they are still unsure of the cause of the anomalous price increase.
“The price of eggs fluctuates very quickly in recent days; today's price may not be the same as tomorrow's. Big traders set these prices. We sell eggs at a profit of Tk0.20-Tk0.50 paise over the price we buy them from the wholesale market,” said Md Malek, a seller of eggs in the Shah Ali market.
In the meantime, market prices for chickens are rising alongside those for eggs.
Depending on the market, broiler chicken is priced between Tk180 and Tk195 per kg, while Sonali chicken can cost up to Tk330 or Tk340 per kg.
The price per kg of local chicken is sold from Tk550 to Tk650.
Both sellers and buyers said that the price of broiler and Sonali chicken has increased by Tk10–Tk 15 per kilogram in just one week.
Shafik Mia, a dealer at the Shah Ali kitchen market, reported that the cost of chicken had jumped significantly following a drop from the previous surge.
He also said that at the beginning of winter, the supply of chicken is often reduced which impacts the price and it will come down if the supply becomes normal.
Meanwhile, the market for sugar is still turbulent as the products are unavailable in many parts of the capital.
The price of sugar hiked to Tk115 per kg for the white variant. Brown sugar has almost disappeared from the markets.
India, the world's biggest sugar producer, has extended restrictions for sugar export by one year through October 2023, which may also affect the country's sugar market,
Bangladesh imports a significant portion of sugar from India.
Currently, the demand for sugar in Bangladesh is 1.8 to 2 million tons yearly, where the country's millers supply the highest 100,000 tons, and the rest are imported from India, Brazil, Australia, the UK, Malaysia etc.
