Vegetables are plentiful in the market, yet prices won't fall: 'We've grown used to buying less'

A strange scene unfolded at Dhaka's Meradia Bazar on Monday morning (19 October): vegetable supply in the market is plentiful, yet the galloping prices show no sign of stopping. Some vegetables cost 10 to 20 taka more per kilo than yesterday, while others fell by barely 10 taka. Trying to make the math work, many shoppers had the same words on their lips — 'We've grown used to buying less.'

Meradia Bazar is the main market for nearby areas including Banasree and Aftabnagar. All daily necessities are available here. The market is known for fresh vegetables and fresh fish.

Vegetable vendor Ruman brings fresh vegetables from Karwan Bazar every day and sells them at Meradia Bazar. In his view, nobody can control the fresh produce market, because prices in this market fluctuate every day. Even the price of fresh vegetables in the morning falls as the day wears on.

Ruman said, 'Although vegetables are plentiful in the market, with transport costs rising now there is no chance of prices falling significantly. Winter is coming. But if anyone thinks vegetable prices will become completely bearable, they are mistaken. Prices may fluctuate by 5 to 10 taka, but there is no chance of them falling completely.'

Amir Hossain, who sells vegetables like Ruman, says more or less the same thing. In his words, there was a time when transport fares were low and the market had ample supply. There was no extortion to pay at the markets and ports either. But now, when a vegetable truck sets out from Manikganj, Munshiganj or Bhairab, tolls have to be paid at several places along the way.

Amir Hossain said, 'Also, with fuel prices rising, transport costs are higher. So how will vegetable prices fall? It's not just vegetables — fish, chicken and egg prices are not supposed to fall either. And they are not falling. So we have to live the way things are now. Sometimes prices are higher, sometimes a little lower. That's how it will go.'

A walk around the market on Monday morning showed pointed gourd selling at 80 to 120 taka, snake gourd at 80, ridge gourd up 20 taka to 100, eggplant at 80, round red eggplant at 140 and white at 100, bitter gourd up 20 to 120, teasel gourd at 100, okra at 100, tomato up 20 to 180, flat bean up 20 to 180, sweet pumpkin at 60, yardlong bean at 100, and green chilli at 200 taka per kilo. Cauliflower was 80 taka per piece and radish 80 taka per kilo.

The fish market painted a similar picture. Rohu fish prices rose — 380 taka for 1 to 1.5-kilo rohu, and 400 to 420 taka per kilo for large rohu. Other small fish also rose by 20 taka per kilo. Chicken prices, however, saw no change — broiler at 190, golden at 330, and local chicken at 630 taka per kilo.

Shopper Shafiqul Islam said, 'We've grown used to buying less. Where we used to buy 1 kilo, we now buy half a kilo. We have to survive, after all. Now there is really no harmony between income and expenditure. Those of us who are salaried employees with medium salaries suffer the most. We can't say anything anywhere, nor can we bear it.'

Another shopper, Habibur Rahman, said winter is coming. In winter, plenty of vegetables arrive in the market and prices fall. But that time is gone now. Even with plentiful supply in the market, prices don't fall. 'Our country is like this. Once the price of something rises, it never comes down,' he said.

Another shopper named Sanaullah said, 'On Saturday I bought rohu fish at 400 taka per kilo. Today they are asking 450 taka for the same fish. What will you say — there is nothing to say. Life now is just as it is, wherever it is. When prices are high, there's no way but to buy less. We have to eat and survive.'

All in all, vendors blame rising transport costs and extortion along the routes for prices not falling despite good supply. And shoppers are balancing their books by buying less — instead of filling their bags, returning home with lighter hands has become the daily story of many families. Whether the full arrival of winter vegetables in the market brings relief to prices is what remains to be seen.