Vegetables, egg prices ease amid climbing fish and meat

Staff Reporter :

Prices of vegetables, egg and some spices have given buyers a bit of comfort as the climbing costs of fish, meat and lentils continue squeezing low- and middle-income families.

At Jurain kitchen market in the city on Friday, shopper Munni Begum said although a few vegetables are cheaper, many essentials still remain costly. “Given the season, prices should have been even lower,” she remarked.

A survey of the Jurain, Dhupkhola, Dayagonj, Jatrabari, Hatirpool, Malibagh kitchen markets showed that vegetable prices are moving inconsistently.

Tomatoes, bitter gourd, carrots, cucumbers and eggplants are selling for less than last week, whereas bottle gourd and a few other items have become slightly dearer.

Currently, lemons are Tk20 for four, potatoes Tk25 per kg, and tomatoes Tk120 per kg-down from Tk160. Bottle gourd has risen to Tk80 from Tk70 a piece, while green chillies have eased to Tk160 per kg from Tk200-Tk250.

Okra remains steady at Tk80 per kg. Bitter gourd, once Tk100, is now Tk80. Pointed gourds and carrots have dropped from Tk80 to Tk60, and Chinese cauliflower is selling at Tk120 each.

Cucumbers are cheaper too, now Tk60 per kg compared to Tk80. Round eggplants have fallen from Tk160 to Tk120, medium eggplants from Tk120 to Tk100, and long eggplants from Tk100 to Tk60.

Yardlong beans are at Tk80 per kg, while snake gourd and sponge gourd, previously Tk100, now cost Tk60. A dozen green bananas are being sold for Tk30.

Azimuddin, a vegetable trader at Jurain, said monsoon usually keeps prices high, but this year they have started to ease and may decline further in the coming days.

Prices of leafy greens remain mostly unchanged: red spinach, Malabar spinach and water spinach are Tk20 per bundle, while stem amaranth sells for Tk20-30 as before.

Most fish varieties have become costlier. Rui and Katla are Tk370-Tk400 per kg, up from Tk300-Tk350.

Hilsa is also selling at a premium, with one-kg fish going for Tk2,200-Tk2,400.

Meat prices have followed the same trend. Broiler chicken costs Tk180 per kg, Sonali chicken has increased from Tk300 to Tk320, and Pakistani chicken is also Tk320. Beef is Tk750 per kg, while mutton stands at Tk1,100.

Eggs, however, have brought some respite. Red eggs are priced at Tk144 per dozen, down from Tk150 last week, while four eggs are Tk48. White eggs are available at Tk145 per dozen.

Lentils and rice have edged higher, while edible oil is almost stable.
Local lentils have climbed from Tk145 to Tk155 per kg, though Indian lentils remain at Tk100. Broken lentils sell at Tk105-Tk110, local mung beans at Tk150-Tk160, and other mung lentils at Tk140-Tk145.
Grass pea (khesari dal) is Tk110-Tk112 per kg, chickpeas have risen from Tk100 to Tk110, and chana dal is Tk120-Tk125.

Soybean oil is now Tk185-Tk190 per litre, compared to Tk180 earlier.
Rice has also gone up slightly. Polao rice, previously Tk115-Tk120, now sells for Tk125-Tk130 per kg. Miniket is Tk78-Tk80, and both Atash (28) and Pajam rice are Tk65 per kg.

Retail spice prices show minor shifts, with dried chillies costing more than before.

Black pepper is Tk150 per kg, cumin Tk650, and cardamom Tk4,800-5,200 per kg-all stable.

Cloves are Tk1,600-1,700 per kg, cinnamon Tk600, bay leaves Tk180-200, powdered chilli Tk400, and powdered turmeric Tk400 per kg.
Dried chillies have gone up by Tk20 per kg, now Tk350-400 instead of Tk330-380.

On the flip side, ginger, garlic and onion prices have softened.
Chinese ginger, once Tk190 per kg, is now Tk160, while local ginger costs Tk140. Chinese garlic sells at Tk130, and local garlic at Tk110.
Locally grown onions are Tk80 per kg, while hybrid ones are Tk75.