Prices of fishes, vegetables fluctuate

A seller at Karwan Bazar in the capital demands Tk 1,600 for this Hilsa weighing over 2kg.Photo: STAR

Prices of different essentials, especially of vegetables and fishes, repeatedly fluctuated on both wholesale and retail markets in the capital in the last two days as supply of vegetables was disrupted due to the curfew.
Although the city's wholesale and kitchen markets have been experiencing a shortage of supply due to the recent flood, varying prices of produce were seen on many kitchen markets in the city yesterday, as traders had to purchase goods at varied costs at different times of the day due to the curfew.
Traders at Karwan Bazar, the largest wholesale kitchen market of the capital, told The Daily Star that after the declaration of the indefinite curfew on Wednesday afternoon vegetable traders from different kitchen markets rushed there to buy produces at an unusual hour.
Prices of vegetables shot up as the stock of vegetables was not enough to meet the demand, said the wholesalers adding that the suppliers usually bring vegetables to Karwan Bazar at night.
Then the prices of vegetables started to fall in Karwan Bazar between Wednesday night and Thursday morning as most of the retailers could not go there because of the curfew although there was no shortage of supply during the time.
Sensing the falling prices of vegetables and fishes, some retailers and grocery shoppers however took the opportunity to purchase the produce for comparatively lower prices.
After 4:00pm on Thursday, when the curfew was relaxed and people were allowed to shop, the prices started to spiral upward again.
Hearing the news of relaxing the curfew for 14 hours yesterday, the prices of vegetables and fishes started to fluctuate again within a short span of time.
Supply of vegetables and fishes and the presence of buyers became normal yesterday but the prices kept varying from shop to shop.
Retailers said they purchased vegetables and fishes at different prices and one who purchased them for a lower price sold his for a lower price also.
Price differences of vegetables ranged from Tk 2 to Tk 12 per kilogram (kg) among different markets.
Preferring anonymity, a trader of Karwan Bazar said he purchased a kg of green chilli for Tk 80 and he sold the item for Tk 100 a kg.
While another trader of the same market who had bought a kg of green chilli for Tk 140 said, "How could I sell it for Tk100?"
Meanwhile, prices of fishes were also seen fluctuating on different kitchen markets. Fishes were selling for higher prices than the last week's.
Some vegetables and fishes were seen being thrown away, as they had rotten.