Potato prices still high, egg prices rise

Prices of old potatoes are still higher in the Dhaka kitchen markets despite the fall in prices of various winter vegetables. Onion prices saw a drop after prices soared last week while prices of essentials including rice, lentils and flour remained unchanged. But price of eggs rose by Tk 10 a dozen.

Visiting the markets of the capital’s Malibagh, Moghbazar and Rampura areas on Thursday, the supply of winter vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, radish, bean, gourd, pumpkin, tomato, eggplant and cucumber was seen rising over the last week.

The price of new potatoes was Tk 60-80 a kg and old potatoes at Tk 50-60 a kg. Traders said the price of old potatoes never increased to such level after the arrival of new potatoes at markets in the past couple of years.

Bangladesh Kachamal Aroth Malik Samity, Md Emran Master, told Prothom Alo, “Arrival of new potatoes slows after a phase of rainfall, which is why prices saw no downtrend.”

Amid the soaring prices, the government allowed import of potatoes on 30 October, issuing IP (import permit) for several firms, and companies had until today, 15 December to bring potatoes from another country.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), a little over 60,000 tonnes of potatoes have been imported so far against the import permits of 306,000 tonnes. A senior official of the DAE said the government may mull importing of potatoes again if the prices do not drop.

Local varieties of onions were being sold at Tk 140-150 a kg, imported Indian onions at Tk 120-130 a kg and newly-arrived local varieties at Tk 100-110 a kg. Prices of onion rose by Tk 40-50 a kg overnight after India announced curbs on export of its onion to cheek the local markets.

Prices of packet sugar and bottled soybean oil increased slightly in the last week. Price of eggs produced in poultry farms increased to Tk 125-130 a dozen, but prices of chickens, beef, as well as farmed rui, pangas and tilapia remained unchanged.

Ramisa Anwar came to the capital’s Rampura kitchen market to purchase essentials. She told Prothom Alo they only eat fish and red meat occasionally. Since plenty of winter vegetables are available now, they are buying a little more, she added.