The prices of most vegetables including green chillis and eggs are still high, despite prices of different vegetables have cooled down as government launches different initiative to monitor daily market.
The prices of varieties of fish except the Hilsha fish have decreased slightly in Rajshahi markets but the price of chicken and beef is on the rise during the recent weeks.
The Green chilli price has not come down below Tk 200 per kg for the last one month or more. Not only has the prices of Green chilli increased but rice, wheat, onion, garlic and ginger have surpassed all previous records.
Such abnormal price hike of vegetables and spices has made the lower and middle-income group of people almost crazy. The day labourers and daily wage earners have been informed, the income they are earning after the day's toil is being spent on purchasing daily necessities like rice and vegetables. The local variety of onion is being sold at Tk 80 per kg while the Indian exported onion is Tk 50 per kg. Both the local and imported garlic is being sold at Tk 320 per kg while the Ginger is being sold at Tk 300 to 360 per kg in various kitchen markets of the city.
After visiting some greengrocers markets in the city, it was noticed a huge quantity of vegetables are being transported daily to the city markets from neighbouring rural hats and markets. The wholesale greengrocer traders at Masterpara Bazaar are purchasing the vegetables from the rural traders early in the morning. The traders informed the supply of vegetables and spices is not sufficient enough according to demand. As a result, the price of vegetables and spices is on the increase.
The price of Brinjal and some other vegetables has come down. Brinjal is being sold at Tk 30 to 40 per kg, Kakrol is being sold at Tk 30 per kg and Patol is being sold at Tk 20 to 30 per kg. The prices of Green-leafy vegetables like Lal Sak, Katoa data and Palank sak are being sold at Tk 30, 20 and 50 respectively. The lady's finger(dheros), Chichinga are being sold at Tk 40 per kg while a piece of Gourd and Chalkumra is not available below Tk 40.
However, prices of most other vegetables remained high. The Corolla is being sold at Tk 80 per kg. Green Papaiya which is usually available at Tk 10 per kg is being now sold at Tk 40 per kg. The Radish is being sold at Tk 60. Other vegetables like Borboti, Kochu and drum-sticks are being sold for over Tk 100 per kg. Cauliflower, Cabbage, Korolla and Dhundul are being sold at Tk60 to 80 per kg. The lemon is being sold at Tk 12 to 16 per four and the cucumber is being sold at Tk 50 per kg.
Varieties of fish like large Ruhi, Katla and Mrigel are being sold at Tk 400 to 450 per kg while a smaller ones are being sold at Tk 250 per kg. The price of Hilsha ( 700 to 800 grams size) is not below Tk 1,500 per kg while the price of hybrid Koi, Singh and Pabda are being sold at Tk 300, Tk 500 and Tk 450 respectively.
Auto-rickshaw driver Sajedur Rahman at Masterpara Bazaar informed with a five-member family he finds it extremely difficult to maintain his family and the study cost of his children. He said, that he earns daily is spent to purchase vegetables and rice and no money remains in hand to purchase spices like edible oil, salt, onion, garlic etc.
Sanjida, a housewife from the Hatemkhan area informed, no vegetables are available below Tk 40 to 50 per kg and she finds it extremely difficult to maintain her family with the scanty income she earns by working as a factory worker.
Vegetables trader Dulal informed they have purchased vegetables from the rural vendors at a high price that is why they are also being forced to sell those at a high price. He further said, there was a sufficient supply of vegetables in the market but he does not know why the prices of all vegetables and spices are so much.
