Price of vegetables declining in city markets

The prices of most vegetables are on declining trend in the city’s different markets as the country is witnessing a plentiful supply of early varieties of winter vegetables over the last two weeks.

As prices of most of the vegetables, including bean, aubergine, radish, cucurbitaceous plant, yard long bean, cauliflower, cabbage, papaya, okra, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, sweet gourd and green chili, have declined by Tk 20-30 compared to the prices, found two weeks before.

“Prices of per kilogram of vegetables maximally rose to Tk 80-120 in the city markets two weeks ago while the cost is currently declining significantly,” said Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, a vegetable retailer at Hazrat Shah Ali kitchen market, Mirpur-1.

“Per kilogram of vegetables like bean, aubergine, yard long bean and bitter gourd are now being sold at Taka 60-80 while the prices of these vegetables were Taka 80-120 two weeks ago,” said Md Jewel, a retailer at vegetables’ hub Karwan Bazar.

“The prices of vegetables will further reduce within the next two weeks”, said another retailer, Taiyab, expressing hope, “The vegetables’ prices will drastically decrease after cent percent arrival of vegetables in the city’s kitchen markets.

The prices of each bundle of green leafy vegetables, including spinach, water spinach vegetable and malabar spinach, have declined by 50 percent compared to the previous price, said a vegetable retailer, Sohel at Mohammadpur Krishi Market.

However, the prices of per kilogram of newly-harvested potato, tomatoes and carrots are comparatively high, ranging from Tk 120-140.

“Prices of vegetables are declining because of a sufficient supply of winter vegetables,” said Mohammad Khalil, a resident in the city’s Mirpur area.

The government should properly monitor prices as costs vary from market to market, said Mahmudul Hasan, an advocate of Judge Court, Dhaka.