Prices of almost all types of vegetables have surged once again in the capital’s kitchen markets, putting added strain on consumers’ budgets.
During visits to several kitchen markets on Friday — including Kawran Bazar, Hatirpool Bazar, and Anandabazar — this correspondent observed that prices of vegetables like bitter gourd, cucumber, brinjal, yardlong beans, pointed gourd, okra, kakrol, papaya, taro root, green chilies, lemon, tomatoes, and sweet pumpkin have risen by Tk 10 to Tk 15 per kilogram over the past week.
Traders said they bought these vegetables at higher prices from the wholesale market compared to last week, so they were selling them at higher prices.
They attribute the price hike to the end of the winter season. With no winter vegetables in the market, the pressure has shifted to the current supply, leading to increased prices.
Md Moshiur, a police officer shopping at Anandabazar, said, “I usually shop here once a week. Just last week, most vegetables were priced between Tk 40 to Tk 50 per kg. Today, the same items cost Tk 10 to Tk 15 more per kg.”
Another vegetable buyer named Mohammad Atik said that market monitoring should be increased immediately to prevent unusual price hikes of vegetables. He also suggested conducting operations not only in the retail markets but in the wholesale markets as well.
Md Mustafa, owner of Bhai Bhai Store in Anandabazar, said prices could go up even further if it rains. He urged the government to start taking steps to protect farmers’ fields from the rain in advance. Otherwise, the vegetable market may spiral out of control as seen in previous years.
At Mustafa’s store, bitter gourd, cucumber, yardlong beans, pointed gourd, and Lady’s Finger (okra) were selling at Tk 60 per kg, while brinjal and papaya at Tk 70, taro root and Kakrol at Tk 100, tomato at Tk 40, sweet pumpkin at Tk 30, green chili at Tk 80 per kg. A dozen lemons was selling at Tk 20 at his store.
Manik Mia, a private sector employee shopping at Hatirpool Market, expressed concern over the sudden surge in prices. “We were able to buy vegetables at reasonable prices for a while, but now they are becoming expensive again,” he said, urging the government to take stricter control over the market.
When asked about rising prices, Deputy Director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), Bikash Chandra Das, who is part of the regular market monitoring team under the Ministry of Commerce, said that due to the ongoing summer season, the supply of vegetables has declined, which has led to the price hike.
“Still, we will soon conduct drives in vegetable markets to ensure that prices don’t go up abnormally,” he said. “We were able to control the prices of potatoes and onions through warehouse raids, and we will take similar action in vegetable markets if necessary.”
