Vegetables prices spike along with Onion

With onion prices remaining high, consumers are bearing the brunt of high prices of essential foods and vegetables, according to shoppers and market data.

The price of onion, which began falling after hitting a historic high of around Tk 250 per kilogram, increased again since the beginning of this week amid supply shortage due to low import and a declining stock of locally grown variety.

Yesterday, prices of the essential spice rose both at wholesale and retail levels and the bulb was found being sold up to Tk 240 per kg, said retailers in several markets of the city.

''Prices usually fall when there is ample supply. But supply of domestically grown and imported onions has not been adequate,'' said Mohammad Shahidul Islam Mia, owner of Matribhandar, an onion wholesaler at Shyambazar.

He said prices of locally grown onion rose yesterday for the lack of availability in the markets of onion-producing region Pabna.

It appears that stock of onions at the farmers’ ends is almost exhausted, said Palash Biswas, of Shapla Banijjalaya at Shyambazar.

Even though winter vegetables started arriving in the markets, prices were too high to enable people in low and fixed incomes to buy a desired amount.

Except for old potato and papaya, no vegetable was found below Tk 40 either in weight or in piece, according to shoppers of Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur Town Hall market, Kazipara and Korail Slum in Dhaka.

According to market prices data by Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), prices of edible oil, flour, garlic and lentil have also soared over the last two weeks.

Furthermore, prices of newly arrived vegetables, such as cauliflowers, were between Tk 40-Tk 50 per piece while prices of aubergines, cabbages, bottle gourds and bitter gourds, also increased in the last one week, according to DAM data.

Traders said prices of some vegetables increased in the last 7 to 10 days as the supply was not meeting the demand.

''Supplies are going to increase within a week, prices will be normal after that.'' said Rashidul Islam, a wholesaler at Bogura’s Mahastan Bazar, one of the main wholesale markets for vegetables in the north.

He said vegetable cultivation had suffered due to rainfall in October and the effect of Cyclone Bulbul earlier this month.