Vegetable, edible oil prices rise further

Prices of vegetables have increased further last week, while edible oil scarcity persisted as refiners are yet to supply bottled oil properly.

Summer vegetables like eggplant, pointed gourd, and okra were sold at Tk 80-120 per kg on Friday, marking a Tk 10-20 a kg further hike in a week. Because of the situation, low and lower-middle income people are struggling to buy vegetables.

Helal Uddin, a vendor at Adabar Bazar in the city, has said the prices have increased because of higher transport costs due to fuel shortage and recent rain in many districts, which have reduced supply. Demand is also now higher than supply.

Most vegetables were sold above Tk 80 per kg on Friday. Only potatoes were around Tk 25 per kg, and papaya and carrots at Tk 50-60 per kg.

Eggplants were selling at Tk 100-120 a kg, which was Tk 80-90 a week ago. Other vegetables, like pointed gourd, okra, beans, ridge gourd, and drumstick, were selling at Tk 90-120 per kg, marking Tk 20 further hike.

Bitter gourd and teasel gourd were sold at even higher rate - Tk 120-160 a kg. However, green chili and onion prices were static. Chili was sold at Tk 80-100, and onion Tk 30-40 per kg. 

Cucumber price further increased by Tk 10 per kg and was sold at Tk 60-80, and tomato at Tk 50-60 per kg.

Broiler chicken remained static at 180-200 a kg, while Sonali and Pakistani chicken price declined to Tk 400-420 from Tk 430-450 a kg. Eggs remained static at Tk 115-125 per dozen.

Meanwhile, shortage of edible oil persisted, as refiners were yet to make supply normal. Many of shops had no bottled oil. Few shops had, but they were charging Tk 5.0-10 a litre extra than that of the official rate of Tk 195.

Najmul Islam, a grocer at Razia Sultana Road in Mohammadpur area, said they were forced by suppliers to buy other products like spices, flour, tea, etc, to get soybean oil. Because of this, the grocers were also forcing customers to buy extra items with oil.

Lack of bottled oil increased loose soybean and palm oil prices. Loose soybean oil was selling at 200-220 a litre, and palm oil at Tk 190-200 a litre.

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com