Soya bean also becomes dearer
The prices of rice continued to increase in the capital’s retail markets over the week ending Friday due to a supply shortage with the end of harvesting season and a rise in transportation cost.
Soya bean oil price also rose as companies increased their rates, traders said.
Retailers said although transportation crisis resulted from the blockades and hartals enforced by the BNP-led alliance eased in the second week of January, rice prices marked fresh rise as the harvesting season of the staple came to an end.
Besides, the transportation costs increased further by 50 per cent due to a rise in demand for trucks after the political unrest eased, they said.
Earlier the traders had increased the prices of rice in mid-December showing supply chain disruption due to frequent strikes and blockades.
The prices of coarse and fine varieties of rice increased by Tk 2 to Tk 4 a kilogram on retail markets in the city on Friday.
The fine varieties of miniket were selling at Tk 48-Tk 50 a kg while its coarse varieties were retailing at Tk 38-Tk 40 a kg.
The price of BR-28 also increased by Tk 2 to Tk 3 and was selling at Tk 40 to Tk 42 while that of pariza rose by the same rate and was selling at Tk 38 to Tk 40.
Nurul Amin, a trader at the Karwan Bazar kitchen market, told New Age that the prices of 50-kg pack of different varieties of rice — miniket, BR-28 and pariza — increased by Tk 200 on the wholesale markets last week.
Prices of rice increased as the harvesting season of rice ended, causing a supply shortage of the staple on the markets, he said.
Besides, transportation costs increased in the week by at least 50 per cent, he said adding that truckers were taking Tk 27,000 to Tk 28,000 to transport commodities from the Northern districts to Dhaka.
In the capital’s retail markets, the price of soya bean oil increased by Tk 2 a litre and different varsities of packed soya bean oil were selling at Tk 570 to Tk 580 (a five-litre bottle). The unpacked palm oil (super) prices increased by Tk 2 and were selling at Tk 82 a litre.
Belal Hossain, a retailer at the Karwan Bazar kitchen market, told New Age that as owner companies of different brands including Rupchanda, Teer and Pushti increased the prices of the brands, retailers were bound to raise the prices.
The kitchen markets witnessed increased supply of vegetables on Friday and the prices slid in the city’s Karwan Bazaar kitchen markets.
But the prices of the same vegetables remained almost double on the other kitchen markets including Hatirpool, Farmgate and Kathalbagan.
Bean was retailing at Tk 15-Tk 20 a kg at the Karwan Bazar kitchen market while it was selling at Tk 40 on the other kitchen markets and tomato at Tk 20 to Tk 25 a kg at the Karwan Bazar while Tk 40 to Tk 45 at other kitchen markets.
Bitter gourd was selling at Tk 20 to Tk 30 a kg at the Karwan Bazar kitchen market but Tk 55 to Tk 60 a kg at the other kitchen markets and potato at Tk 10 a kg at the Karwan Bazar while Tk 15 at the other markets.
The price of the imported onion decreased by Tk 10 a kg and it was selling at Tk 30 a kg on Friday. Green chili price also decreased by Tk 10 a kg and was selling at Tk 30-Tk 35 a kg on the day.
Besides, cauliflower was selling at Tk 20- Tk 25 a piece, cabbage at Tk 15 a piece, aborigine at Tk 20-Tk 35 a kg, cucumber at Tk 30-Tk 35 a kg, carrot at Tk 25 a kg, gourd at Tk 30 to Tk 40 a piece on the day.
Broiler was selling at Tk 130-Tk 140 a kg on Friday while the locally-breed hens were selling at Tk 200 to Tk 300 a piece of 800 grams to a kg. The price of egg remained unchanged and it was selling at Tk 26-Tk 28 a hali (four pieces) on Friday.
The price of local red lentil was decreased by Tk 7 and the item was retailing at Tk 108 a kg on Friday.
Fish prices remained almost unchanged over the week.
Rohita was selling at Tk 250–Tk 400 a kg on Friday, pangas at Tk 100–Tk 150 a kg and tilapia at Tk 150–Tk 180 a kg, depending on their size and quality.
The prices of beef and mutton remained steady.
Beef was selling at Tk 270 to Tk 280 a kg and mutton at Tk 450 a kg on Friday.
-With New Age input
