There is no relief from the skyrocketing prices of essentials as the prices of ginger, onion, garlic, carrot and most vegetables hit a record high at the kitchen market in the capital on Friday.
Prices of Sonali chicken and some fishes maintain the previous week's high rates on the day.
Most leafy vegetables, including red amaranth, green amaranth, jute spinach, Palong spinach, water spinach and pui spinach, price increased by Tk 5 to Tk 10 per bunch while some vegetable prices increased by Tk 20-40 per kg.
Agriculture economist Dr Jahangir Alam Khan told the Daily Sun that the prices of non-cereal food products usually increase during the monsoon as rain, flood and natural calamities affect crop production. It will cool down within a couple of months, he said.
While visiting different kitchen markets at Mirpur 12, 11 and Shewrapara in the capital, this correspondent found that the prices of most vegetables, ginger, garlic and leafy vegetables increased to record highs on the day.
The price of local ginger has increased by Tk 40 per kg in a week and was sold at Tk 300 per kg while some hilly ginger was sold at Tk 400 per kg.
Carrot price increased by Tk 20-40 per kg and was sold at Tk 200 per kg. Its price was Tk 160-180 per kg a week ago and was Tk 140 per kg two weeks ago.
Local onion price increased to Tk 90-95 per kg from Tk 80-90 per kg and imported onion was sold at the previous high price of Tk 70-80 per kg from Tk 55-60 per kg in a week.
Price of round type big brinjal increased by Tk 20-40 per kg and was sold at Tk 110-120 per kg, long type brinjal price increased by Tk 20 per kg and was sold at Tk 80 per kg while some green round type brinjal price increased by Tk 20 and was sold at Tk 80 per kg.
Garlic prices maintained the previous week's high rate. Local garlic was sold at Tk 240-260 per kg while imported garlic was Tk 220-240 per kg.
Tanzin Ahshan, a private company employee, bought different kinds of vegetables worth Tk 850, four pieces of Sonali chicken worth Tk 1,100, one dozen egg at Tk 150, two kg tilapia fish at Tk 520 and a rohu fish weighing 1.5 kg at Tk 540.
“I have already spent Tk 3,100 to buy things from the kitchen market while I have to buy some small river fishes, rice, beef and some other grocery items,” he said.
He further said, “If I have to spend around Tk 4,000-5,000 for the weekly kitchen market shopping, then how could our three-member family survive in the capital?”
It has become difficult for people with limited income to survive in this situation. The worst affected are the lower and lower-middle groups of people.
Red amaranth and green amaranth price increased to Tk 25-30 per bunch from Tk 15-20 per bunch, green amaranth price increased to Tk 20-25 per bunch from Tk 15-20 per bunch, jute spinach price increased to Tk 20-25 per bunch from Tk 15 per bunch, Palong spinach price increased to Tk 30-35 per bunch from Tk 25 per bunch, water spinach price increased to Tk 15 per bunch from Tk 10 per bunch and pui spinach price increased to Tk 35 per bunch from Tk 25-20 per bunch in the last two weeks.
Bitter gourd price increased to Tk 95-100 per kg from Tk 80 in a week and spiny gourd price increased to Tk 80 per kg from Tk 60 in a week.
Some newly harvested vegetables were sold at the previous week's rates. Newly harvested bean was sold at Tk 160 per kg, cabbage was sold at Tk 40-50 per piece, and cauliflower was sold at Tk 50-60 per piece.
Pointed gourd was sold at Tk 60 per kg, yardlong bean was sold at Tk 80-90 per kg, cucumber was sold at Tk 60-80 per kg, ribbed gourd was sold at Tk 80 per kg, gourd was sold at Tk 40-70 per piece, potato was sold at Tk 40-45 per kg and green papaya was sold at Tk 40 per kg. The prices of these vegetables maintained the previous week's high rates.
Meanwhile, the price of tomatoes declined to Tk 140 per kg from Tk 160 and green chilli declined to Tk 160 per kg from Tk 200 in a week.
Farm egg price declined by Tk 10 per dozen and was at Tk 145-150 per dozen at the kitchen market in the capital on the day. The price of farm egg increased to Tk 175-180 per dozen two weeks earlier.
Broiler chicken price has maintained the previous week's rate and it was sold at Tk 190-200 per kg while Sonali and cock chicken prices were Tk 320 per kg in the kitchen market of the capital.
Beef was sold at Tk 750-800 per kg and mutton was sold at Tk 1,100 per kg.
Big-size telapia fish was sold at the previous high price of Tk 300-320 per kg, small size was Tk 260 per kg, rohu fish (1-1.5 kg) was Tk 250-260 per kg and katla (2.5-3 kg) was Tk 450 per kg.

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Vegetable prices go up sharply
- Staff Correspondent
- 26 August, 2023 12:00 AM
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