Onion, potato and chicken prices rise

The price of green chillis has increased and crossed Tk 300 during this Eid-ul-Azha season. Plus, the prices of onion, potato and broiler chicken have also risen in the markets of the capital. Meanwhile, chicken eggs and garlic have seen a decline in price. Apart from these, prices of most vegetables and fishes have remained the same.  

Though the Eid holidays are over, full-fledged sales have not yet begun at the daily commodity markets.  And the reason is that a section of the people who left the capital for Eid has not returned to Dhaka yet. While visiting four markets in the capital on Thursday, most of the shops were found closed. And, the presence of customers was also very low.

Wholesalers and retailers said that the supply of daily commodities in the market is low during the Eid holidays. That’s why the prices of a few items including green chillis have gone up.

However, they said that the supply of produce in the market will go back to normal within the next one or two days. This was found from visiting Shewrapara, Agargaon Taltala, Mohammadpur Krishi Market and Karwan Bazar kitchen markets in the capital and from talking to the sellers on Thursday.

The sellers said that the price of green chillis has soared up a lot because of low supply in the markets. Green chillis were sold in different markets for Tk 300 to Tk 350 a kg on Thursday. Even a week back, the price of green chillis was Tk 200 to Tk 220 per kg. Meaning the price of green chillis has increased by more than Tk 100 per kg within the difference of a week.

The price of green chillis soaring up during the Eid-ul-Azha season is not something new. Even last year, the price of green chillis suddenly shot high during Eid and a kg of green chilli sold for nearly Tk 500 then.

The traders say that the supply of green chilli is usually low in the market during Eid. Besides, the cost has gone up due to various reasons including the rainfall. Hence, the price of chillis is on the rise.

Daily ingredients of the kitchen, onion and potato have also gone through a price hike. Locally produced onions sell more in the market now. Before the Eid, local onions sold for Tk 75-80 per kg on wholesale. The retail rate was Tk 90 at that time.

But on Thursday, a kg of local onion was selling at Tk 80-85 on wholesale. In turn the retail price of onion would also go up by about Tk 5.  However, the retail market had not yet started selling onion at the new rate on Thursday afternoon.

The picture was the same for potato as well. Before the Eid, a kg of potato was selling for Tk 60 in the retail market. However, the wholesale rate of potato had increased by Tk 4 per kg on Thursday. So, the retail price of potato might cross the bar of Tk 60 per kg in a day or two. However, the traders say that the price of onion and potato will decline once the supply increases.

The price of brown eggs of broiler chickens has decreased by Tk 10 per dozen in the market. A dozen of eggs were sold for Tk 150 in Karwan Bazar kitchen market this Thursday. However, in different areas of the capital, eggs are still selling at the pre-Eid price of Tk 160 per dozen.

Now while the price of eggs has declined the price of broiler chicken itself has increased. Before the Eid, broiler chicken was sold for Tk 170 to Tk 190 per kg. Meanwhile, the price of a kg of broiler chicken was Tk 190 to Tk 210 in various markets on Thursday. The Sonali chicken variety is being sold at Tk 360 per kg.

In the meantime, the price of garlic has decreased in the difference of a week, but the price of cucumber and tomato has gone up. The prices of both local and imported varieties of garlic have fallen by Tk 10-20 a kg. On the other hand the price of cucumber and tomato has increased by Tk 20-40 per kg. Prices of other vegetables and fish remained somewhat the same.