For all latest news, follow the Daily Sun's Google News channel.
The essential commodities market has once again turned volatile ahead of Ramadan. Despite duty reductions and supply-strengthened assurances by the previous interim government, prices of vegetables, dates, and fruits have increased across the capital, intensifying consumers’ suffering.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reduced the customs duty on date imports from 25% to 15%, but retail prices of various dates have increased by Tk100 to Tk250 per kilogram (kg) over the past two weeks. The prices for cucumbers and eggplants have crossed Tk100 per kg, while lemons, onions, bananas, and green chilies have also seen price hikes.
Traders blame the price hike on the Chittagong Port strike for disrupting supply, while consumer rights groups cite weak market monitoring and opportunistic traders for the ongoing instability.
In an effort to provide relief, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) launched a truck-sale programme on 17 February, which will continue until 12 March. However, consumer rights groups question the effectiveness of this initiative amid rising open-market prices.
Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, responding to questions
about “syndicates” at the Secretariat on Wednesday, said, “I will not give a sound bite. Inshallah, I will show results through action. The government will take effective steps to monitor the market and control supply.”
He also said that the one-time demand surge at the beginning of Ramadan, as people tend to shop for the entire month, creates temporary pressure on the retail market.
Senior Vice President of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, SM Nazer Hossain, said the new government needs time to understand the market and should engage in dialogue with traders to stabilise prices.
He added that traders had time to prepare for Ramadan, while the government did not, and that the interim administration had been somewhat indifferent, leaving consumers to bear the brunt of higher prices.
He added that traders had time to prepare for Ramadan, while the government did not, and that the interim administration had been somewhat indifferent, leaving consumers to bear sufferings. He noted that potatoes are selling at Tk20 per kilogram, the same as last year.
Prices of other essential goods
Visiting Karwan Bazar, Shewrapara, Babu Bazar, Khilgaon Kacha Bazar and Malibagh on Wednesday revealed that lemons are selling at Tk80 to Tk160 per hali (four pieces).
At Karwan Bazar, the large-sized lemons are selling wholesale at Tk 40 each, while local varieties of cucumbers are at Tk140 and hybrids at Tk100 and Khira is selling at Tk70 to Tk80 per kg. Eggplants are selling at Tk100 to Tk150 per kg, up from Tk60 to Tk70 a week ago. Green chilies have seen a surge of Tk40 per kg and are now selling at Tk140 to Tk180.
Onions are selling wholesale at Tk270 per 5kg at Karwan Bazar, while retail prices stand at Tk60 each kg, compared to Tk40 ahead of Ramadan last year. With the decline in banana supply, every dozen Bangla bananas are selling at Tk150 to Tk160, up from Tk70 to Tk80 a week ago. Sabri bananas have risen from Tk100 to Tk120 to Tk160 to Tk180 per dozen.
Prices of dates have also surged despite duty reductions, with Dabbas and Baroi dates in retail selling at Tk450 to Tk550 per kg; Zahidi at Tk250 to Tk260; Ajwa at Tk1,100 to Tk1,400; Medjool at Tk1,300 to Tk1,500; Medjool Jumbo at Tk1,700 to Tk2,300; Maryam at Tk1,000 to Tk1,400; and Sukkari at Tk800 to Tk850. Traders blame higher wholesale prices, with one trader at Karwan Bazar claimed date prices are 20% to 30% higher than last year.
Supermarket Prices
Prices are even higher in supermarkets. At Malibagh Agora, Maryam dates are selling at Tk1,400 per kg; Medjool Jumbo at Tk2,450; Medjool premium at Tk1,650; Sufri at Tk950; Ajwa at Tk1,750; and Mabroom at Tk1,525. At Khilgaon Shwapno, Maryam premium is priced at Tk1,720 per kg, Ajwa premium at Tk1,890, and Ajwa regular at Tk1,350.
TCB, truck sale
The TCB truck sale programme allows each customer to purchase up to 2 liters of soybean oil at Tk115 per liter, 2kg of lentils at Tk70 per kg, 1kg of sugar at Tk80 per kg, 1kg of chickpeas at Tk60 per kg, and 500 grams of dates at Tk160 per kg. A total of 450 trucks (excluding Fridays and public holidays) are operating nationwide to serve low-income consumers.