Vegetable prices stay high as fish becomes costlier ahead of Durga Puja

At Mahakhali’s Saat Tola kitchen market, moments after Friday prayers, van driver Saheb Ali was found grumbling as he walked out of the fish market. He had just argued over the price of pangas catfish.

Asked why he was upset, he said, “This pangas is farmed. Just three days ago I bought it for Tk 170 a kg. Now they’re asking Tk 200. I won’t buy your fish!”

A visit to Dhaka’s Mahakhali, Saat Tola and Niketan kitchen markets on Friday showed that vegetable prices have not cooled down. On top of that, fish prices have risen. Traders said the increase was partly due to Durga Puja.

Vegetables remain mostly in the Tk 80-120 per kg range, except for a few items. Among summer vegetables, teasel gourd, ridge gourd, taro stem, pointed gourd, snake gourd, sponge gourd and okra were selling at Tk 70-80 a kg. Bitter gourd, long beans and aubergine, depending on type, were Tk 100-120.

Although winter is still some way off, some winter vegetables have already appeared in the market. Hyacinth beans were priced at Tk 220-250 a kilo, depending on quality. Bottle gourds sold at Tk 50-80 each depending on size, radish at Tk 80 a kg, and small cauliflowers at Tk 50-60 each.

Tomatoes were priced at Tk 140-160 a kg depending on quality, while green chillies jumped Tk 40 to Tk 200 a kg. Carrots were Tk 120-140, local cucumbers Tk 80-90, and hybrid cucumbers Tk 60 a kg.

A set of four lemons rose by Tk 10 to Tk 30-35, while coriander leaves were Tk 330-350 a kg.

Among the cheapest vegetables, green bananas sold at Tk 40 per four-piece bunch, ash gourd at Tk 50-60 each and pumpkin at Tk 40-50 a kg.

Red amaranth was priced at Tk 25 a bunch, bottle gourd leaves at Tk 40, water spinach at Tk 15, Malabar spinach at Tk 40-50, and stem amaranth two bunches at Tk 40. Napa and fiddlehead fern were selling at Tk 30-40 a bunch.

Potatoes, which have been stable at low rates for weeks, remained at Tk 20-25 a kg.

However, local onions rose by Tk 5 to Tk 80 a kg, though many traders kept the price at Tk 75 when sold in 5-kg packages.