Consumers are suffering the brunt of the wide gap between wholesale and retail sale prices of the vegetables in the city markets.
The difference between wholesale price and retail prices of essential vegetables are more than double in the capital.
While visiting a wholesale vegetable market at Sadek Khan Krishi Market at Rayer Bazar-Beribadh area on Friday it was seen that price of 5 kg chili was TK400-520, 5 kg Papaya was Tk 50-60, brinjal was Tk 150-160, bean was Tk 200, pointed guard was Tk 150-180, okra was Tk 200, ribbed guard was Tk 200-220, cucumber was Tk 180, tomato was Tk 510, bitter guard was Tk 100, orum was TK 180, yardlong bean was Tk 270 and radish was Tk 130.
According to the price range, price of chili was TK 80-104 per kg, Papaya was Tk 10-12 per kg , brinjal was Tk 30-32 per kg, bean was Tk 40 per kg, pointed guard was Tk 30-36 per kg , okra was Tk 40 per kg, ribbed guard was Tk 40-44 per kg, cucumber was Tk 36 per kg, tomato was Tk 102 per kg , bitter guard was Tk 20 per kg, arum was TK 36 per kg, yardlong bean was Tk 54, cauliflower and cabbage were Tk 20-30 per piece , guard per piece was Tk 20-30 and radish was Tk 26 per kg at the wholesale market.
Imran hossain, a wholesale vegetable trader at the market, said they sold the local vegetable with a minimum profit to the retailers.
He said the price of vegetable depends on the supply from different areas of the country.
However, at Mohammadpur Krishi Market a few kilometers far from the wholesale market the price of most of the vegetable was much higher than the wholesale price.
Rofiqul Islam, a vegetable trader at Mohammadpur Krishi market, said transport cost, post transport losses, shop rent are main causes for the higher price of vegetable at our end.
Disagreeing with the views of traders, Agri economist professor ASM Golam Hafeez said there is no reason for rising prices of vegetables within a short distance as they sold out their vegetable in each day.
He said huge price gap between the wholesale and retail market mainly deprived consumer and make a way to traders make higher profit.
The government should monitor the wholesale price and retail price of the essential and take proper action against them involved with price hike, he said.
