Meat, chicken, sugar prices soar

Defying the decision of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), traders are selling meat at higher prices just ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr while prices of essentials also marked a sharp rise.
The prices of local chicken, battery chicken, eggs, cucumber, tomato, aromatic rice (Polau rice) and vermicelli have also increased in the last two days.
The sugar price has gone up again in both retail and wholesale markets yesterday.
At the beginning of Ramadan, DCC fixed the price of beef at Tk 210 a kg, mutton at Tk 280 to Tk 300 a kg and buffalo meat at Tk 180 a kg.
Traders also charged the customers the same rate. But in the last two days, they sold beef at Tk 230-240 a kg, mutton at Tk 300-340 a kg and buffalo meat at Tk 200 a kg due to a huge demand.
Talking to The Daily Star, Jalal Uddin, a meat seller at Karwan Bazar kitchen market, said, "During the whole Ramadan, we sold meat at the prices fixed by DCC. But the prices of meat suddenly saw a sharp rise in the last two days because of increasing demand."
Sugar price also saw a sharp rise yesterday. It was sold at Tk 60 to 62 a kg in the evening while the price ranged between Tk 50 and 55 in the morning.
Tofael Ahmed, a grocery shop owner at Karwan Bazar, said the price of sugar soared to Tk 60 a kg last week but the price came down to Tk 46 in the wholesale market just two days ago.
"However, its price went up again to Tk 59 a kg due to shortage of supply before Eid," he added.
Vermicelli was selling at Tk 45 to 50 a kg yesterday while the price ranged between from Tk 40 to 42 last week. And Lachchha Semai was selling at Tk 90 to 100 a kg, up from Tk 80 in the last week.
The price of local chicken increased by Tk 10 to 30 per piece yesterday due to its huge demand just before the Eid and the price of battery chicken increased by Tk 10 a kg.
The price of eggs rose to Tk 78 to 80 a dozen from Tk 70 to 74 at Karwan Bazar and Tejkunipara kitchen markets.
The price of cucumber soared to Tk 30 to 50 a kg, which was Tk 20 to 35 last week, while the price of tomato ranged between at Tk 65 to 80 a kg, up form Tk 50-60.
Polau rice price increased by Tk 5 a kg in the last one week. It sold at Tk 60 to 80 a kg yesterday.
However, prices of onion, edible oil, spices, fish and vegetables remained unchanged.