To bring relief to the market, the duty of rice, onion and potato has been withdrawn, the task force has been formed and the price of some products has been fixed, but the consumer is not getting relief. The price of rice, onion and potato did not decrease. On the contrary, prices of several products including potatoes, edible oil, flour, some vegetables, green chillies, broiler chickens have increased. In the last one week, the price of potato has increased by Tk 10-15 per kg, chickpea by Tk 5-10.
According to state-owned marketing agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the prices of 11 farm products, except chicken eggs, ginger and narrow rice, have gone up in a week. These include edible oil, chickpeas, potatoes, farm chickens, flour, palm oil and coriander leaves.
Analysts say that order is not returning as the government has not taken any plan to reform the market. Government initiatives are also not working. They have suggested to reform the market system.
Vice President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) SM Najer Hossain said, after reducing the duty, the benefit is being taken by one party, consumers are not getting it. It should be strictly monitored by the government as to who is taking the tariff benefits. The government is now supervising only at the retail level. But market regulation requires supervision at all three levels—producer, wholesale and retail, which is not happening.
Segunbagicha, Malibagh, Mugda and Karwan markets of the capital have been visited and the price of rice has not increased but has not decreased. However, to reduce the price of rice, the duty was reduced from 62 and a half percent to 2 percent in two rounds last October. This has reduced import cost per kg. Import doors are also opened for private companies. But the price of rice has not decreased even by 1 taka.
Narrow rice including Nazirshail, Katari, Jirashail is being sold at Tk 75-82 per kg in the market of the capital. Medium quality rice including BR-28 and 29, miniket, pyjam is being bought at 65-70 and coarse rice including Guti, Swarna, China Iris is being sold at 52-58 taka. According to TCB, rice prices are now 7-13 percent higher than the same period last year.
The seller of Maryam Rice Store in Mugda Bazar. Alamgir told the newspaper today that the price of rice has not decreased. One reason for this could be that retailers have reduced supplies in fear of falling prices. The market situation says that the price may decrease from next week.
Imported onion is selling at Tk 120 per kg and domestic onion is selling at Tk 150 per kg, which is 27 percent more than last month. On Wednesday, the duty on the import of onions was withdrawn, but there is no impact on the market. Ginger, garlic, dry chilli and other spice products are also being sold at increased prices.
Potato prices are increasing again in the market. 60-65 taka per kg potato is selling at 70-80 taka. Sellers say prices are rising due to dwindling supply. may increase further.
Rickshaw driver Al Amin, a buyer of Malibag raw market, said that it is not possible to buy fish and meat. Rice, pulses, potatoes, vegetables should be eaten. But if their prices increase, they suffer more. Now he is in trouble.
Former president of Cold Storage Association Mosharf Hossain said that now the supply in the market has decreased as farmers collect potatoes for seeds. This crisis would not have happened if the production of potatoes had not been reduced in the last season. In the last season, against the demand of 90 lakh tonnes, the country produced 70 lakh tonnes.
In September, the government opened imports by reducing the import duty of potatoes from 25 percent to 15 percent and completely withdrawing the 3 percent regulatory duty.
Open soybean oil is selling at Tk 163-165 per litre, compared to Tk 158-160 a week ago. Bottled soybean oil is Rs 167-170 per litre, last week it was Rs 165-170. The price of gram has increased by Tk 5 to Tk 10 per kg and is being sold at Tk 130-140.
The price of broiler chicken has increased by Tk 10 to Tk 190-200 per kg. All kinds of vegetables including brinjal, bitter gourd, patol, dal, tomato are being sold at higher prices as before. It is being sold for an average of 60-100 rupees per kg. Winter vegetables cauliflower and cabbage are being sold at Tk 40-70 each. The price of raw chili has increased to Tk 200 per kg.
But a little relief in all this discomfort comes the reduction in the price of eggs from the farm known as the meat of the poor. A dozen is being sold at Tk 145, which was Tk 150-160 a week ago. Noor-e-Alam, an egg seller in Segunbagicha market, said that the power of the egg syndicate has decreased due to the government's initiative. Eggs are coming directly from the farm to various markets including Tejgaon. The price is falling.
