Prices of winter vegetables have jumped high at different markets due to fog and shivering cold, damaging the early season respite for customers.
Picking up a bitter gourd at Kachari Bazar Market, Arif Akand asked the seller for its price. Upon hearing the reply, Ahammad's face instantly fell. "It's 60 taka. Don't bargain. Take it or leave it," the seller said.
“It's small and can only serve two people. At most it should cost Tk 30. How can you ask for such a price?” Arif, an employee of a private organisation asked. As the shopkeeper did not relent, Arif left the shop after buying a half a kg of brinjal at Tk 20.
Tanjina Sultana Hasi, a university student who came to a vegetable market in the kachari bazar market, said the price of most of the vegetables were above Tk 60, although the situation was different a week ago.
“I live in a university dorm. Students, especially the insolvent, are suffering a lot because of the hike. Even, some of my friends have decided not to eat vegetables,” she said. Beans that were selling at Tk 25-30, Korola at Tk. 60-65, Potatos at Tk. 70-80, Tomatos at Tk. 190, Cavage at Tk. 35-40, Carrot at Tk. 50-55, Cauliflower at Tk. 35-45, Onion Leaf at Tk. 80-90, according to market monitoring.
Prices of vegetable items such as brinjal, cauliflowers, cabbages, bottle gourd, tomato and potatoes marked a rise and so did onions. Vegetable prices doubled in a week at Boro Bazar Market, a major wholesale market. Traders said dense fog and unusual cold weather have affected both farming and transportation of vegetables, pushing up the prices.
However, prices came down as the winter vegetables arrived in the market. But the cold wave instigated a price rise, creating supply shortfall, market watchers said.
“Vegetable production is affected by fog and this disrupts the supply chain,” retailer Kamrul Chowdhury said."