Vegetable and fish prices rise, meat rates steady

Vegetable and fish prices have risen in Dhaka’s kitchen markets, adding to consumers’ food costs, while beef, mutton and broiler chicken prices remained unchanged over the past week.

A visit to kitchen markets in Mirpur 11, 12 and 13, Shewrapara and Agargaon on Friday found that some early winter vegetables had become Tk10-20 per kilogram more expensive than a week earlier, despite adequate supplies.

Prices of rohu, katla and tilapia also increased by Tk20-50 per kg, depending on size, following the suspension of hilsa sales from 8 October.

Green beans sold for Tk160-200 per kg, while newly harvested potatoes fetched Tk200 per kg. Radishes rose by Tk10 to Tk60 per kg, and cauliflower cost Tk60-80 apiece. Small cabbages sold for Tk80 each.

Most summer vegetables remained unchanged in price, with pointed gourd, okra and snake gourd selling for Tk70-80 per kg. Eggplant prices fell by Tk20 to Tk60-120 per kg, while green chillies dropped by Tk20 to Tk100-120. Tomatoes, however, surged by Tk100 to Tk240 per kg amid lower supplies. Carrots cost Tk100-120 per kg.

Papaya prices fell by Tk5 to Tk15-20 per kg. Potatoes sold for Tk30 per kg and onions for Tk50-55. Cucumbers cost Tk70-80 per kg, yardlong beans Tk60-80 and sweet pumpkins Tk40-50. Capsicum fetched Tk350 per kg.

Chicken prices remained largely stable. Broilers sold for Tk180 per kg, Sonali chickens for Tk320, Sonali hybrids for Tk290 and red-layer chickens for Tk360. Local chickens cost Tk670 per kg.

Beef sold for Tk780-800 per kg, while mutton cost Tk1,300, with both prices unchanged from the previous week.

Fish prices increased across the markets. Rohu sold for Tk400-550 per kg, while tilapia cost Tk220-240. Farmed shing fetched Tk350-600 per kg, depending on size, while local shing sold for Tk1,200-1,400.

Local magur cost Tk900-1,200, mrigal Tk350-450 and farmed pangas Tk180-220 per kg. Tengra sold for Tk600-800 per kg, kachki for Tk550 and batashi tengra for Tk1,400.

Egg prices remained high, with a dozen chicken eggs selling for Tk150-155 and a dozen duck eggs for Tk200.

The increases in vegetable and fish prices continue to put pressure on household budgets, although stable prices for beef, mutton and broiler chicken offer some relief.