Vegetable, onion, beef pricier

The prices of vegetable, onion, beef and potato have soared further in the kitchen markets of the capital, thereby augmenting owes of consumers.

Excepting pointed gourd and okra, prices of all vegetables have increased to more than Tk 80 a kg.

Teasel gourd sold at Tk 120, while long-yard bean, bitter gourd, country bean, sponge gourd and snake gourd at Tk 80-100 a kg on Friday, up Tk 10-20 a kg in a week.

Brinjal retailed at Tk 70-100 a kg on the day depending on quality, while moringa at Tk 140-180 a kg.

Papaya, the cheapest vegetable round the year, made a record as retailed at Tk 75-85 a kg which traders attributed to fueling demand amid the hot weather.

Dulal Patwary, a trader at Rayerbazar-Beribandh wholesale market, said the demand for papaya has increased doubly for the oppressive heat, although supply remains the same.

He said the wholesale price of papaya was Tk 38-45 a kg two weeks back, which is Tk 68-70 a kg now.

The production of summer vegetables has been hampered for almost no rain in most of the districts for a month, added Mr Patwary.

He said the farm-level prices of vegetables were much higher than that of the previous years.

Meanwhile, the price of local seasonal onion increased by Tk 5-10 further as it retailed at Tk 70-85 a kg.

Potato of cardinal and granola varieties retailed at Tk 55-60 a kg and Courage (BARI 29) at Tk 70-75 a kg.

However, the prices of broiler chicken and farm egg have decreased.

Broiler sold at Tk 210-220 a kg in the market, while eggs at Tk 125-135 a dozen, down by Tk 10-20 per unit.

But beef prices continued to rise since the second week of April as it reached Tk 780-850 a kg on Friday.

Habibur Rahman Milon, a meat trader at Kafrul in Dhaka, said the prices of cattle increased by 30-40 per cent after Eid-ul-Fitr.

He said cattle rearers and seasonal traders countrywide were preserving cattle to do a roaring trade during Eid-ul-Azha, the festival of sacrifice, in the third week of June.

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