Pabna shoppers get little relief despite some prices falling: rice, lentils and oil dearer, fish and vegetables cheaper

Pabna’s daily-goods market is showing a mixed picture. On one side, higher prices for beef and mutton, rice, lentils and spices are squeezing ordinary shoppers. On the other, fish prices have fallen significantly, bringing some relief. Seasonal vegetables, chicken and eggs have also become cheaper. But with staples such as rice and lentils still dearer, people on limited incomes are struggling to balance their household budgets, so the price falls have not brought full relief.

The picture emerged from conversations with shoppers, sellers and traders on Monday (26 October) at Pabna’s Boro Bazar, the largest market in the district town. The Boro Bazar and Masum Bazar were also visited over the past two days.

Recently, mutton prices have risen by up to 100 taka and beef prices by up to 50 taka. Rice, oil and spice prices have risen too. But with winter vegetables arriving in supply, several vegetables have fallen by up to half per kilogram, bringing some relief to middle- and lower-middle-income families.

Over two months, the price of a sack of good-quality rice has risen by 150 to 200 taka. Good-quality fine rice now sells at 80–85 taka per kilogram, and a 25-kilogram sack at 2,100 to 2,300 taka. Last October, the same rice sold at 70 taka per kilogram and a 25-kilogram sack at 1,900 to 2,100 taka.

Medium-quality 28/29 rice is roughly unchanged over the past two to three months. A 25-kilogram sack sells at 1,150 to 1,250 taka, and per kilogram at 51–54 taka. Fragrant rice, however, has become cheaper. Good-quality fragrant rice now sells at 180 taka per kilogram, down from 220 to 240 taka last month.

Boro Bazar rice trader Ranjit Dutta said rice prices have been more or less stable over the past one to two months and have not risen, though fine rice is somewhat dearer and fragrant rice has fallen considerably.

Among daily goods, demand for lentils and oil is comparatively high. Masur lentil has risen by 25 taka per kilogram to 140 taka, boot lentil by 20 taka to 120 taka, and kalai lentil by 20 taka to 180 taka per kilogram.

Open soybean oil has risen by 13 taka per litre to 203 taka, while bottled soybean oil is up 15 taka to 204–205 taka.

Over the past month, beef and mutton prices have risen by 50 to 100 taka per kilogram. Beef now sells at 800 taka per kilogram, up from 750 taka last month. Mutton sells at 1,200 taka, up from 1,100 taka last week.

Over the past week, chicken and egg prices have eased somewhat, bringing relief to low-income people. Local chicken now sells at 600 taka per kilogram, cock at 360 taka and layer at 320 taka. Sonali chicken is unchanged at 290–300 taka and poultry at 175 taka. Last week, local chicken sold at 620–630 taka, cock at 380 taka and layer at 380 taka. Layer chicken eggs now sell at 45 taka per hali, down from 48 to 52 taka.

Visits to Pabna’s Boro Bazar and Masum Bazar over the past two days found that prices of almost all kinds of fish have fallen considerably. Rui now sells at 350–600 taka per kilogram, pangash at 200–220 taka, small shrimp at 800 taka, galda shrimp at 900–1,000 taka, bata at 230 taka, farmed shing at 350–400 taka, local shing at 500 taka, katla at 470 taka, small puti at 500 taka and pabda at 400 taka. Tilapia, however, is up 40 taka per kilogram.

A week earlier, rui sold at 450–700 taka, pangash at 230–250 taka, small shrimp at 900–1,000 taka, large shrimp at 1,200–1,400 taka, bata at 300–350 taka, farmed shing at 800–1,000 taka, local shing at 1,000–1,100 taka, katla at 500–520 taka, small puti at 600–650 taka and pabda at 320–350 taka.

Boro Bazar wholesale fish seller Harun Hossain said that compared with one to two weeks ago, fish prices are now almost negligible. He asked how retailers could buy from wholesalers if they could not sell, adding that retailers quote very low prices and that when there is demand for more fish, wholesalers are forced to sell at a loss.

Retailer Mukul Sheikh said prices of shing, rui and all kinds of fish have now fallen by almost half. He said people are not buying fish, possibly because it is the end of the month and demand is a little lower.

With winter vegetable supply rising, most vegetable prices have fallen, by 5 to 40 taka per kilogram over the week. But this has not brought full relief, and market prices remain higher than ordinary people expect.

Even in the peak vegetable season, cauliflower has fallen by 40 taka to 80 taka per kilogram and cabbage to 50 taka. Round brinjal has fallen by 10 taka to 70 taka and bitter gourd to 50 taka. Borboti, bhendi and jhinga sell at 40 taka, and kochu, potol and brinjal at 40 taka per kilogram. Sweet pumpkin and shim have fallen by 5 taka to 35 taka.

Among vegetables, carrots and tomatoes have risen the most. In a week, carrots have risen by 50 taka per kilogram to 200 taka and tomatoes by 30 taka to 180 taka. Spices show the same trend. Ginger is up 60 taka per kilogram to 200 taka, garlic up 40 taka to 120 taka, dried chilli up 40 taka to 460 taka and onion up 5 taka to 50 taka per kilogram.

Abdul Latif Sheikh, who came to Boro Bazar, said winter vegetable prices have fallen reasonably at the start of winter, but rice, lentils and oil are unaffordable. He asked how ordinary people would manage.

Moslem Pramanik said rice prices are simply not falling and keep rising day by day. He used to eat fine rice but can no longer afford it, so he now eats 28 rice. He said vegetable prices look somewhat lower in the market now, and it remains to be seen how long that lasts.

Abdul Quader Molla, who came to Masum Bazar, said fish and chicken prices are falling, but meat is unaffordable. Beef was 750 taka and is now 800 taka again, he said, asking: “We are poor people, so what will we eat?”

On the overall situation, Md Mahmud Hasan Roni, assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Pabna, said winter vegetable supply has brought some relief to the market and fish prices have also fallen comparatively. But he said the authorities will examine why beef prices have risen by 50 taka despite fish and chicken prices falling.

He added that they are monitoring the market continuously and regularly inspecting rice shops. Where complaints of overcharging are received in Pabna’s markets, drives are being conducted, and this monitoring will continue.