Market prices: Vegetables cost 26pc higher

Pointed gourd (potol) is one of the cheapest vegetables in the market now. A curry of hilsa with the pointed gourd is popular in the monsoon. But this year, buying hilsa is hardly possible as its price has skyrocketed. The price of pointed gourd is not low either.

According to the government agency Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), a kilogram of pointed gourd now costs between Tk 60 and Tk 80, which is 75 per cent higher than the same period last year.

It is not only pointed gourd, most vegetables are pricier this year. An analysis of DAM’s daily price lists for Dhaka Division shows that on 21 August this year, the average price of 16 vegetables was 26 per cent higher than on 21 August last year.

Every year, vegetable fields are damaged by rains and floods in July and August, pushing up prices. Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman also acknowledged this.

On Thursday, he told Prothom Alo, “Every year, at this time towards the end of the monsoon, vegetable prices remain somewhat higher. Before the Robi (winter) crops arrive, we have to accept this. Still, we are making every effort to keep the market stable.” However, DAM’s statistics indicate that this year’s price hike is sharper than the normal seasonal increase. On the other hand, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) says rainfall in August this year has been below normal.

Alongside vegetables, prices of fish and meat have also increased on average. According to DAM, the prices of five types of fish have risen by an average of 18 per cent, while in the meat and eggs category, the average increase is 7 per cent.

Vegetables, fish, and meat are staples for households. Their price hikes put additional strain on family budgets. Currently, rice, lentils, and oil are already expensive. Added to that, rising vegetables and fish prices are worsening household pressures.