If you love green beans, it's bad news. The vegetable has topped in price - tk 120 to Tk 140 per kilogram subjected to local markets. Pointed gourd and bitter gourd are standing on second and third respectively - Tk 80 to Tk 100.
The price is unusual, the customers helplessly said last week. However, vegetables those were being sold at costlier prices last week have seen a fresh hike. Meantime, many items have soared up; and three of them touched Tk 100. The bottom-line is -- there is almost no vegetable below Tk 50 per kilogram in Dhaka kitchen markets.
Take, for example, eggplant and okra was Tk 40 per kg last week. The items were being sold at Tk 60 a kilogram at Hatirpool Bazaar yesterday, Tk 20 higher from the previous week. "Each vegetable item has gone up Tk 10 to Tk 20 within a week," said Dilruba Hasan, a housewife, at the kitchen market.
A wholesaler of the same market, Moin Uddin, said that as the winter has gone with its abundant items, the market is skyrocketing. Besides, the supply of new summer vegetables is yet to gain momentum putting the customers in a fix.
"It might take some weeks. However, there is no chance the prices would drop soon," said the retailers. Meantime, the meat market seemed stable after weeks of gradual hike. Broiler price did not soar up further - as per kilogram of those chicken was being sold at Tk 160 to Tk 170. Beefs were at Tk 500 to Tk 520.
However, the prices of green papaya, tomato and carrot were comparatively less. Papaya was being sold at Tk 20-30 while red tomato at Tk 30-40 a kg. The price of carrot was Tk 20 to 30 per kilogram. Meantime, green chili and onion were being sold at previously slashed prices -- Tk 60 and Tk 25-30 a kilogram respectively.