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The prices of broiler chicken, beef, mutton and eggs continued to rise on the kitchen markets in the capital Dhaka ahead of Ramadan, fasting month of the Muslims that is likely to start in the last week of March.
Retail traders blamed producers and suppliers for the increase in prices of broiler chicken and eggs on the market for last one month.
Small scale producers, however, blamed big companies for increasing the prices of broiler and eggs abnormally on the local market.
Sumon Hawlader, president of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association, on Thursday said that the cost for producing a kilogram of broiler chicken by marginal producers was Tk 163 and retail price of the item should not be more than Tk 200 a kilogram.
He blamed large companies who controlled the market of broiler and eggs and kept the prices high by sending mobile messages to their representatives in all markets across the country.
Sumon made the comments at a meeting on the unusual price hike of broiler chickens and eggs on the local market organised by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.
‘When the marginal producers increase the production of broiler chickens and eggs in their farms, the large companies set low prices of the products by sending SMS to their representatives in all the markets and as a result, the marginal producers incur huge losses,’ Sumon said.
Now the companies increased the price of broiler as the production by the marginal producers came down to almost nil, he said.
In the meeting, Kazi Zahin Hasan, director of Kazi Farms Limited, said that their production cost for a kilogram of broiler was Tk 130-140 and the company sold the item to wholesalers or dealers at Tk 190-207 a kilogram.
DNCRP director general AHM Shafiquzzaman said that it was not logical to increase the retail price of broiler chickens to Tk 250 a kilogram given that the production cost of the item was Tk 130-165 a kilogram.
As per the data of the Kazi Farms Limited, producers are gaining profit of Tk 50-60 from a kilogram of broiler chicken, and wholesalers and retailers are also making profit.
The price of broiler chicken increased by Tk 20 a kilogram over the week on the city markets and the item sold for Tk 250–260 a kilogram on the city markets on Friday.
The price of Sonalika variety of chicken increased by Tk 30-50 a kilogram and the item sold for Tk 350–370 a kilogram and the local variety for Tk 600–700 a kilogram on Friday.
The price of beef increased by Tk 30-50 a kilogram on the markets in the capital over the week ending Friday and the item sold for Tk 750–780 a kilogram.
The price of mutton increased by Tk 100 a kilogram and the item sold for Tk 1,000–1,100 a kilogram on Friday.
Traders said that the cost of cows and goats went up on the market and so they had to adjust the prices of beef and mutton in line with the prices of the animals.
The price of eggs increased by Tk 3 a hali (four pieces) and the items sold for Tk 45-47 a hali on the markets in the city on Friday.
The prices of other commodities, including rice, atta and sugar, remained high on the city markets over the week.
The coarse variety of rice sold for Tk 48–50 a kilogram on Friday.
The medium-quality variety of rice sold for Tk 58–62 a kilogram while the BR-28 variety, also known as a lower-grade Miniket, retailed at Tk 62–65 a kilogram.
The fine-variety of Miniket sold for Tk 70–80 a kilogram and Najirshail for Tk 80–90 a kilogram on the day.
Unpackaged atta sold for Tk 60–62 a kilogram while packaged atta sold for Tk 68–70 a kilogram in the city on Friday.
The prices of vegetables maintained upward trend on the city markets over the week.
Aubergine sold for Tk 50–70 a kilogram, papaya for Tk 30-40 a kilogram, bitter gourd for Tk 80–100 a kilogram, bottle gourd for Tk 70–80 apiece, beans for Tk 40–50 a kilogram, cauliflower for Tk 30–40 apiece, cucumber for Tk 40–50 a kilogram, potatoes for Tk 20–25 a kilogram, carrot for Tk 30–40 a kilogram and tomatoes for Tk 30–40 a kilogram on Friday.
Green chillies sold for Tk 120–130 a kilogram in the city on Friday.
The prices of garlic decreased by Tk 10 a kilogram over the week in the city and its local variety sold for Tk 100–110 a kilogram while the imported one sold for Tk 120–150 a kilogram on the day.
The prices of ginger also remained high and its imported variety sold for Tk 160–320 a kilogram while the local one for Tk 180–200 a kilogram on the day.
Unpackaged soya bean oil sold for Tk 172–175 a litre in the city on Friday.
Packaged soya bean oil was selling for Tk 185 a litre in the city.
A five-litre container of soya bean oil sold for Tk 880–900 in the city on Friday.
Palm oil sold for Tk 130–140 a litre on the markets on Friday.
The price of fine variety of red lentil remained high and the item sold for Tk 135–140 a kilogram on Friday.
The coarse variety of red lentil sold for Tk 105–110 a kilogram and the medium-quality variety for Tk 125–130 a kilogram on Friday.
The prices of refined sugar remained high and unpackaged sugar sold for Tk 115 a kilogram and the packaged one for Tk 120 a kilogram in the city on Friday.
The price of gram also remained high and the item sold for Tk 90–95 a kilogram in the city on the day.
The local variety of onions sold for Tk 30–40 a kilogram while the imported variety sold for Tk 35–40 a kilogram in the capital on Friday.
Prices of fish remained unchanged over the week.
Rohita sold for Tk 340–400 a kilogram and Katla for Tk 320–380 a kilogram, depending on size and quality.
Pangas sold for Tk 180–200 a kilogram and Tilapia for Tk 160–200 a kilogram.
Fine-quality packaged salt retailed at Tk 38–42 a kilogram and the coarse variety at Tk 25 a kilogram.
(NA)
