Consumers feel the heat as vegetable, egg, chicken prices skyrocket simultaneously

Consumers are under pressure as the prices of vegetables, eggs and chicken have increased simultaneously at the kitchen markets in the capital.
Struggling to cope with the rising costs, many people have already changed their daily meal plans and reduced their purchases of essential food items as most of the protein items are gradually going out of their reach.
Agro-economist and researcher Dr Jahangir Alam told the Daily Sun that consumers are not purchasing enough protein-rich food due to the excessive price of food amid higher inflation.
“The prices of eggs, milk, and meat go beyond the purchase capacity of the consumers. Due to the lack of enough protein-enriched food, the working capacity of people will decline and health loss will occur,” he said.
Visiting different kitchen markets in Mirpur and other areas of the capital, it was found that the price of farm eggs has remained high over the past week, which increased even further on the weekend. Earlier, eggs sold at Tk100-110 per dozen, but on Friday, they were sold at Tk130-140 per dozen.
The prices of broiler and layer chicken remained the same as that of a week earlier: Tk180-190 and at Tk350 per kg, respectively.
However, the price of Sonali chicken declined slightly compared to the last week but it still hovered above the regular price.
Retailers sold Sonali chicken at Tk350-380 per kg on Friday, while a week ago they were sold at Tk400-440 per kg. A month earlier it was sold at Tk320 per kg.
Md Nasim, a chicken trader at Mirpur 10, said that the demand for chicken declined due to its high price, which in turn drove down its price slightly.
Tanzin Ahsan, a private company employee, said, “I used to buy four Sonali chickens each week for my four-member family, but now I can afford only two.”
“I earn only Tk50,000 each month but I cannot afford to buy beef each week; I only buy one kg of beef once every month. I also have reduced the amount of fish and vegetables I buy amid higher prices.”
“Gradually every food item is going beyond our purchase capacity,” he said.
Most of the vegetables in the market are now selling at over Tk80-100 per kg. Last week, the price of eggplant was around Tk110 per kg, which has increased to Tk120-140 on Friday. The price of pointed gourd has risen by Tk10-15 per kg in a week and was sold at Tk70-80 per kg on that day.
The price of cucumber increased to Tk70-80 per kg from Tk60 per kg in a week. The potato price remained unchanged at Tk25-30 per kg, while drumstick was sold at Tk160-200 per kg, depending on quality.
Spiny gourd was sold at Tk150-160 per kg, bitter gourd at Tk90-110 per kg, yardlong beans at Tk100 per kg, and snake gourd at Tk90 per kg.
Tomatoes were sold at Tk60-70 per kg, bottle gourd at Tk70-80 per piece, okra at Tk60-80 per kg, sweet pumpkin at Tk50 per kg, taro stems at Tk80 per kg, and green bananas at Tk40 per four pieces.

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