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Vegetable prices have continued to decline notably over the past week, offering some relief to consumers, but the prices of fish and chickens are on an upward trend, posing challenges to low-income households.
A visit to various markets in Dhaka on Friday morning revealed that winter vegetables are now available at significantly lower prices, thanks to an increased supply.
Brinjal sells at Tk 40-50 a kg, cabbage and cauliflower at Tk 30 each, bean at Tk 30-40, radish at Tk 20-25, cucumber at Tk 40-50, tomato at Tk 40-60, turnip and carrot at Tk 40-50, and papaya at Tk 25-30 a kg.
Green banana is priced at Tk 30-35 for four pieces, and leafy greens such as spinach and red amaranth at Tk 10 a bunch.
Green chilli, a major kitchen item, now retails at Tk 80 a kg.
However, the prices of potatoes and onions remain static at Tk 35-50 and Tk 50-60 a kg respectively, reflecting a Tk 10-15 further drop per kg over the week.
On the other hand, the fish and chicken market offer a different story to tell.
Broiler price has increased to Tk 210-225 a kg, Sonali and Pakistani Tk 340-360, marking Tk 10-20 further hike per kg, according to kitchen market vendors.
Prices of fish, including cultured tilapia and pangas, have surged, selling at Tk 220-240 a kg, up by Tk 20 further.
Fish vendors attribute these skyrocketing rates to increased demand this wedding season and other winter events, coupled with a supply shortage of riverine fish.
Abdul Jabbar, a fish seller at Rayerbazar, said, "The price of fish has been increasing gradually for the last one month due to a low catch of riverine fish as well as rising costs."
Cultured pabda retails at Tk 400-500 a kg, shing at Tk 500-600, cultured ruhi at Tk 380-550 based on their sizes, marking Tk 30-40 further hike a kg.
Meanwhile, river shoal, shrimp, ruhi, hilsa and ayer fish prices have gone beyond the purchasing power of the lower middle-class people.
One kilogram of shoal sells at Tk 850-1,200 and hilsa at Tk 1,600-2,800 a kg based on size. However, small-size hilsa retails at Tk 500-700.
Tiger shrimp and lobster retailed at Tk 850-1,000, harina shrimp at Tk 1,350-1,500 and indigenous ruhi at Tk 700-1,200 a kg depending on sizes.
In the poultry market, broiler prices have remained steady at Tk 200-220 per kg for the past two weeks. Sonali chicken is selling at Tk 350-360 a kg and domestic chicken is priced at Tk 500-650.
While the vegetable market offers some respite for consumers, the steady rise in fish and poultry prices continues to strain household budgets, especially for the working-class population.