Winter vegetables bring relief in Dhaka markets, but fish and meat prices stay high

Early winter vegetables have started arriving in the capital's markets, and prices are coming down in comparison. Beans, brinjal, cauliflower, green chilli and pointed gourd are now selling at lower prices. But there is no relief in fish and meat, where buyers still have to pay extra for several items.

A visit to markets in Gulshan, North Badda and other areas of the capital on Saturday showed this picture. Tomatoes were selling at 120 taka per kg, green chilli at 80 to 100 taka and beans at 70 to 80 taka per kg.

Round brinjal was 100 taka per kg and long brinjal 80 taka. Kakrol was selling at 60, bitter gourd at 70, pointed gourd at 50, okra at 50 to 60, kochur mukhi at 60 to 70 and snake gourd at 50 to 60 taka per kg. Each bottle gourd was selling for 40 to 50 taka, and papaya at 30 taka per kg.

Jisan Alam, a seller at Allah'r Dan vegetable shop in Kalachandpur kitchen market in Gulshan, said wholesale prices had fallen, which is why they can sell at lower prices in retail too. He added that prices may fall further as supply increases.

Meanwhile, tilapia was selling at 220 to 240 taka per kg. Rui was selling at 240 to 300 taka depending on size, and pangas at 200 taka. Pabda was 360 taka per kg.

Hilsa prices were also quite high. Hilsa weighing more than one kg was selling at 2,600 to 2,800 taka per kg, and even small hilsa was not available below 1,000 taka per kg.

Jakir Hossain, a fish seller at Joar Sahara market, said fish prices were still high, and buyers have to pay much more especially to buy large hilsa.

There was little relief in the chicken market either. Broiler chicken was selling at 175 to 180 taka per kg, sonali chicken at 310 to 320 taka and layer chicken at 350 to 360 taka. Beef was 800 to 850 taka per kg.

Jisan, a seller at Mayer Doa Chicken House, said retail prices cannot be reduced because wholesale chicken prices remain high, forcing them to sell at higher prices.

Suman Hossain, a private-sector employee who lives in a rented house in Kalachandpur with his wife and children, a family of four, shops once a week. He said winter vegetables had brought prices down somewhat, and vegetables are even cheaper in open markets.

Showing the vegetables he had bought, Suman said he bought half a kg of green chilli for 30 taka, long brinjal for 60 taka and beans for 60 taka from the open market, which would have cost more at vegetable shops. But fish, chicken and beef prices had not fallen much compared to last week.

Overall, shoppers have found some relief as winter vegetables reach the markets, but that relief has yet to come in fish and meat. Sellers hope vegetable prices will fall further as supply grows.