Veggies too pricey to afford for many

Homemaker Nurunnahar Begum could not believe her ears yesterday when a trader asked for Tk 100 for a kilogram of green papaya at the capital’s Kachukhet kitchen market.

“How can a kg of green papaya cost Tk 100? The price has soared by Tk 30 only within a week,” said the 60-year-old woman from Mirpur-11.

Traders and consumers said this might be highest price of green papaya in recent times.

Nurunnahar said the vegetable, which is available almost round the year, usually costs Tk 40 to Tk 50 a kg, but the price has now gone beyond their reach.

“How will the low-and fixed-income people buy vegetables?” she asked.

The prices of some other vegetables, including pointed gourd and aubergine, have also shot up at Kachukhet, Shewrapara, Ibrahimpur, and Karwan Bazar kitchen markets over the last few days.

Yesterday, green chillies were sold for Tk 160-200 a kg, up from Tk 120-160 a week ago.

Traders blamed shortages in supply for the increased prices of green papayas and green chillies. They attributed the shortages in supply to damage of crops by the recent heatwave.

The prices of many other vegetables have soared by up to 20 percent within a week.

Pointed guard was sold for Tk 60-100 per kg yesterday against the previous week’s price of Tk 50-80.

The price of long tubular aubergine went up to Tk 80-120 per kg yesterday from Tk 60-100 a week ago, while round aubergine was being sold for Tk 60-80 a kg, up from Tk 50-60.

However, the prices of almost all types of fish remained unchanged yesterday compared to a week ago. The prices of broiler and sonali chickens have dropped by Tk 10-30 a kg.

Shafiqul Islam, a private firm employee who went to Shewrapara kitchen market yesterday to buy essentials, said the skyrocketing prices of essentials do not surprise him anymore.

“In the absence of market monitoring by the government, prices of commodities can be increased by anyone with any excuse,” he said.

Helal Uddin, a green chilli wholesaler at Karwan Bazar, said they brought green chillies from Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, and Pabna.

“The prices of green chillies have increased by Tk 50 a kg in those districts over the last two days. So, we have no option but to hike the prices,” he said.

The trader said there is a shortage in supply of vegetables.

Akib Islam, proprietor of Rakib Vegetables at Ibrahimpur kitchen market, said their sales have halved as customers cut their purchases due to high prices of vegetables.

“Many customers think we make hefty profits by increasing the prices. But the fact is we buy fresh vegetables at high prices and that’s why we need to sell those at high prices,” he said.

Ghulam Rahman, president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh, said when the price of a commodity soars in the country, the prices of other essentials also go up.

“Traders make lame excuses for hiking the prices,” he said.

The CAB chief said the government should have a proper plan to control the market. If this cannot be done, the prices of essentials will continue to go beyond the reach of the ordinary people, he added.