Relief in Eggs and Vegetables, but Rice, Lentils and Oil Keep Dhaka Markets Dear

With the approach of winter, supplies of fresh vegetables have begun rising in the capital's markets, and prices have started to respond. Egg prices are falling too as supplies normalise. This has brought shoppers, long squeezed by rising prices, some relief — but the higher prices of rice, lentils, oil and flour stand in the way of that relief.

This picture emerged on Friday (23 October) morning after visiting markets in Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur, New Market and Hazaribagh in the capital and speaking with buyers and sellers. As winter vegetables begin arriving, their prices have eased somewhat, but rice, lentils, oil, flour and other daily essentials remain expensive.

Brinjal is now selling at Tk 70 to 90 per kg depending on quality. Bitter gourd is Tk 70 to 80, local carrots Tk 100 to 120, snake gourd Tk 60, long beans Tk 70 to 80, okra Tk 60, sweet pumpkin Tk 40, raw papaya Tk 30, pointed gourd Tk 70, taro Tk 60, tomatoes Tk 160 to 180 depending on quality, teasel gourd Tk 70 to 80, sponge gourd Tk 60, and green chillies Tk 150 per kg. Each ash gourd and bottle gourd sells for Tk 60 to 80 depending on size, radish at Tk 70 depending on quality, early winter beans at Tk 120 to 140, and cauliflower and cabbage at an average of Tk 50 to 60 per piece depending on size.

There is some relief in the chicken market too. With good supplies, broiler chicken prices have fallen by Tk 5 to 10 in different markets compared with last week. Broiler now sells at Tk 170 to 180 per kg, down from Tk 190 last week. Sonali chicken sells at Tk 300 to 320 per kg, beef at Tk 800 and mutton at Tk 1,200.

Egg prices have also fallen this week. A dozen red farm eggs cost Tk 150 last week; this week they are down Tk 10 to Tk 140. White farm eggs have fallen from Tk 140 a dozen last week to Tk 130 this week.

Fish prices, however, remain high, as they were last week. Medium-sized farmed rui sells at Tk 350 to 380 per kg. Katla sells at Tk 300 to 450 depending on size, kalibaush at Tk 500 to 700, farmed pangas at Tk 250 to 260, tilapia at Tk 250 to 300, and medium-sized koi at Tk 200 to 250.

Local shing sells at Tk 600 to 700 depending on size, large pabda at Tk 400, prawns at Tk 800 to 1,000, local mixed small fish and mola at Tk 600 to 700, tengra at Tk 500 to 1,000, rupchanda at Tk 1,400 to 1,500, boal at Tk 700 to 900, batasi at Tk 1,400 to 1,600, kajoli at Tk 1,200 to 1,800, meni at Tk 700 to 800, and bele fish at Tk 900 to 1,200 per kg.

Despite some relief in vegetables, the prices of rice, flour and refined flour have risen slightly. Rice prices rose by Tk 1 to 3 per kg two weeks ago and have not come down since. Over the past month, loose flour prices have risen by 2 percent and packaged flour by 8 percent. Refined flour and chickpea prices have also risen, while lentils, onions, garlic, ginger and soybean oil are selling at elevated prices.

Nazirshail and miniket rice now sell at Tk 70 to 90 per kg depending on quality. Paijam, BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 sell at Tk 58 to 65 per kg, and coarse rice at Tk 50 to 55. Traders say rice prices rose about two weeks ago and have not declined since.

Loose flour sells at Tk 48 to 50 per kg and packaged flour at Tk 65 to 70. According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), loose flour prices have risen 2 percent and packaged flour 8 percent over the past month. Loose refined flour has risen 3.70 percent and packaged refined flour 6 percent; loose refined flour now costs Tk 70 per kg and packaged Tk 85 to 90.

Alongside flour, chickpea prices have risen too. Chickpeas now sell at Tk 110 to 125 per kg depending on quality, up from Tk 100 to 110 last week. Among other lentils, large-grain masur sells at Tk 90 to 100 per kg, small-grain masur at Tk 150 to 160, and anchor dal at Tk 60 to 75. Local onions sell at Tk 55 to 60 per kg, local garlic at Tk 140 to 150, local ginger at Tk 150 to 160, and bottled soybean oil at Tk 210 per litre and Tk 410 for a two-litre bottle.

Shoppers express relief that vegetable and egg prices have eased somewhat, but say overall market expenses are not falling because of the high prices of rice, flour, refined flour, lentils, chickpeas and edible oil. Sellers say seasonal vegetable supplies are bringing some prices down, but with wholesale purchase prices high, it is difficult to lower the prices of other essentials. As a result, buyers' expenses are not falling, and traders say sales are declining as well.

Rifad Hasan, a private-sector employee who came for his weekly shopping at Karwan Bazar, said some vegetable prices have begun to fall and eggs are a little cheaper than before, which brings some relief. But rice, flour, refined flour, lentils and oil have not become cheaper; rice became dearer earlier and still has to be bought at that higher price. Whatever is saved on vegetables and eggs is spent on other goods, so overall household market expenses are not really falling.

Tania Akter, a housewife shopping at the Mohammadpur Krishi Market, said there is no item in the daily market that can be skipped — vegetables, eggs, rice, lentils and oil are all essential. She is glad some vegetable and egg prices have fallen, but with rice, flour, refined flour, chickpeas and other goods expensive, balancing the monthly budget has become difficult. With the same money that once bought all the necessities, fewer goods can now be bought. In her view, even if some prices fall, ordinary people will not get real relief until all essentials return to tolerable levels.

Mofidul Islam, a vegetable seller at Karwan Bazar, said winter vegetables have started arriving in the market and increased supplies are bringing some prices down. If seasonal supplies rise further, prices may fall more. But not all vegetable prices fall together — what each vegetable sells for depends largely on the wholesale purchase price and the supply in the market, and there are also transport and other costs. When buyers can purchase vegetables at lower prices, sellers' sales rise too, because high prices make many buyers purchase less than they need.

Hasan Sikdar, a grocery seller at New Market, said normal egg supplies have brought some relief to the market. But goods such as rice, flour, refined flour, lentils, chickpeas and oil are still expensive — the prices at which these must be bought wholesale are reflected at retail. Rice became dearer two weeks ago and has barely fallen since; flour prices are high too. Buyers often reduce quantities after hearing prices, or return without buying some items, which reduces sales as well. He believes if wholesale prices fall, retail buyers will get relief too.

All in all, winter vegetables and eggs have brought partial relief, but the steep prices of rice, flour, lentils and oil keep that relief incomplete. If seasonal vegetable supplies grow, vegetable prices may ease further in the coming weeks; but unless the prices of the main household staples come down, the market-cost pressure on ordinary people will not ease — that is now the view of both buyers and sellers.