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Rice, pulses, onion and other essentials’ prices remain high
The prices of rice and other essential items such as pulses, onion, garlic, potato and egg have maintained their upward trend as people continue to buy beyond their needs in fear of bad days due to coronavirus pandemic.
Retailers and wholesalers blamed each other, while consumers blamed them both for cashing in on people’s panic buying.
Visiting several kitchen markets in Malibagh, Rampura and Badda yesterday, several retail and wholesale rice shops were found closed.
People have been seen to stock essential grocery items, especially rice, after the declaration by the education ministry shutting down all educational institutions until March 31.
This prompted many traders to increase prices by Tk10-25 per kilogram.
The coarse Miniket rice was retailing for Tk55-60 per kg which was Tk48-52 a kilo a few days ago, and fine Miniket at Tk60-70 a kg which was Tk52-58 per kg earlier.
BR 28 was selling for Tk42-44 a kg at wholesale market and retailing for Tk46-55 a kg.
At the wholesale market, Miniket was selling for Tk54-58 a kg which was Tk44-48 a kg earlier.
Najirshail was retailing at Tk56-80 a kg, which was Tk45-60 a kg earlier. Basmati rice was retailing for Tk65-70 a kg.
Although customer presence was scarce during daytime, it increased by evening.
Salma Begum from Rampura said: “I bought two kilo of onion as prices were still high. Three days ago it was Tk40 per kg but today it was Tk80 a kilo.”
“Rice shops in this market have been closed since morning. Others are saying traders ran out of stock as people bought the essential commodity in bulk.”
Amzad Hossain, a retail rice trader from Badda, said, “Price were high as wholesalers and rice millers increased rates. It is not possible for us to sell in lower prices. Mobile courts take action against us but not against wholesalers and millers.”
Visiting a wholesale kitchen market in Malibagh, this correspondent found several rice wholesalers shutting their shops.
Asked the reason, they said they ran out of rice supply. But the correspondent found at least one-third of the shops stocked their rice supply.
Spices turn dearer, vegetable unchanged
Meanwhile, spice prices have gone up.
Imported garlic was retailing for Tk170-180 a kg and local garlic for Tk130-140 a kg, while ginger retailed for Tk180-200 a kg, and local onion for Tk80-90 a kg.
Pulses were retailing at Tk120-130 a kg, potato for Tk30 a kg, broiler egg for Tk110-115 per dozen, bottled soybean oil for Tk105-115 a litre, unpacked soybean oil for Tk92-94 a litre and five-litre containers were selling for Tk490-520.
The prices of sugar remained high at Tk68-70 a kg.
Vegetable prices remained unchanged from the previous week, as eggplant was selling for Tk60-80 a kg, bitter gourd for Tk60-80 a kg, cauliflower for Tk30-35 apiece, cabbage for Tk30-35 each, papaya for Tk35-40 a kg, carrot for Tk35 a kg and beans for Tk45 a kg.
(DT)
