Onion, vegetable prices soar amid rain, supply crunch

After a brief respite over the past few months, the prices of onions, vegetables, eggs and fish have risen again in the capital's kitchen markets, placing additional financial strain on low- and fixed-income families.

Traders blamed the ongoing heavy rains, which have inundated many farmlands, as the main cause behind the price hike of various essentials, particularly vegetables.

Buyers at kitchen markets in Farmgate, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Karwan Bazar, Ibrahimpur and Kachukhet reported that prices of staples such as onions, vegetables, eggs and fish were higher than last week.

Saifur Rahman Chowdhury Sujan, general secretary of the Karwan Bazar Brihattar Paikari Kacha Bazar Arot Byabasayi Malik Samity, said that recent incessant rainfall across the country had flooded many vegetable farmlands, resulting in reduced supply and price increases.

Sajib Sheikh, proprietor of the wholesale onion shop Matri Bhandar at Karwan Bazar, said over the last two weeks, the wholesale price of locally produced onions rose by Tk 20 to Tk 22 per kilogramme.

He said two weeks ago, such onions were sold at Tk 46 to Tk 52 per kg wholesale, but yesterday the price reached Tk 66 to Tk 74 per kg.

He added that for several months, onion prices had remained steady and affordable for most consumers, with wholesale rates between Tk 42 and Tk 50 per kg.

Meanwhile, traders at various kitchen markets said the retail price of onions increased to Tk 80 to Tk 90 per kg yesterday.

Mohammad Roni, a grocer at Shewrapara kitchen market, said he had been selling onions at the increased rates. He said he sold a kilogramme of locally grown onions at Tk 85 yesterday, compared to Tk 60 a couple of weeks earlier.

Mosharraf Hossain, a retail vegetable trader at Karwan Bazar, said prices of most vegetable items had risen by Tk 20 to Tk 50 within a week, reaching over Tk 100 per kg.

For example, he sold round-shaped eggplants at Tk 160 per kg and common long eggplants at Tk 100 per kg yesterday.

He said ridge gourd and bitter gourd each sold at Tk 100 per kg, while cucumber and tomato prices reached Tk 100 and Tk 180 to Tk 200 per kg respectively.

Mosharraf said cucumbers were sold at Tk 60 a week earlier, and different varieties of eggplants ranged between Tk 70 and Tk 100 per kg.

Furthermore, prices of okra and pointed gourd rose to Tk 70 to Tk 80 per kg yesterday, up from Tk 40 to Tk 50 a week earlier.

He said that a month ago, these vegetables were sold at Tk 30 to Tk 40 per kg.

Although the ongoing monsoon is considered the prime season for hilsa, there has been no sign of a price decrease for the popular fish in the capital's markets.

Yesterday, hilsa weighing between 600 grammes and one kilogramme per piece were sold for Tk 1,400 to Tk 2,300 per kg.

Yusuf Mia, a trader at Tejgaon who visited Karwan Bazar to buy food items for his family, said although hilsa prices should be affordable at this time of year, traders were charging excessively.

"I wanted to buy a one-kilo hilsa, but a trader asked for Tk 2,300, which is beyond my means," he said.

Farm-grown rohu and katla weighing one kilo per piece were sold at Tk 350 to Tk 400 per kg yesterday, up from Tk 320 to Tk 350 per kg a week earlier.

Various naturally grown wetland fish, including spiny eels, flatheads and shrimps, were sold at Tk 800 to Tk 1,200 per kg.

Farm-produced eggs were sold at Tk 135 to Tk 140 per dozen yesterday.

Farm-grown Sonali chicken was sold at Tk 320 to Tk 350 per kg, marking a Tk 10 increase from the previous year.