Prices of red lentil, garlic rise flouting minister’s warning [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Prices of red lentil, garlic rise flouting minister’s warning

Local April 30, 2016

The prices of red lentil, beef, and garlic have gone up on the city’s kitchen markets over the week, flouting the commerce minister’s assurance that the essential commodity prices would not rise ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
After holding a meeting with traders and importers on April 24, commerce minister Tofail Ahmed said there are sufficient stocks of rice, atta, sugar, edible oils, lentil, salt, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and dates in the country.
If any quarters try to manipulate the prices of essential commodities, he warned that the government would take stern actions against them.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, the price of red lentil increased by Tk 5 a kg and beef by Tk 10 a kg on April 28, while the price of garlic rose by Tk 20 a kg on April 24 and 26.
The fine variety of imported red lentil had been selling at Tk 150-Tk 160 a kg and the coarse variety at Tk 110 a kg, while local red lentil had been retailing at Tk 150-Tk 155 a kg during the week.
The TCB data however shows that the imported red lentil was selling at Tk 145-Tk 150 a kg and the local lentil was being sold at Tk 140-Tk 145 a kg.
Beef was selling at Tk 400-Tk 420 a kg, while mutton at Tk 600 a kg on Friday.
The garlic prices increased twice in the last week and the local item was selling at Tk 80-Tk 110 a kg on the retail market on Friday.
The price of imported garlic remained high and the item was selling at Tk 200 a kg over the week.
Broiler chicken was selling at Tk 155-Tk 160 a kg, while the locally-bred hens were selling at Tk 280-Tk 350 a kg on Friday.
The prices of onion remained high and the local varieties were being retailed at Tk 45-Tk 48 a kg and imported onions at Tk 20-Tk 35 a kg.
Prices of eggs decreased a bit and were selling at Tk 32 a hali (four pieces) on Friday.
The price of sugar remained high, selling at Tk 55 a kg during the week, while the price of potato remained unchanged at Tk 18-Tk 20 a kg.
Aubergine was selling at Tk 30-Tk 50 a kg, green chilli at Tk 60 a kg, bitter gourds at Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg, cucumber at Tk 40 a kg, bottle gourd at Tk 40-Tk 50 per piece, okra at Tk 40 a kg, tomato at Tk 40-Tk 50 a kg, and papaya at Tk 30 a kg.
The price of unpacked soya bean oil remained unchanged, with the fine quality of the item selling at Tk 88-Tk 90 a kg on Friday, while palm oil was selling at Tk 65-Tk 67 a kg.
The price of a one-litre container of soya bean oil stood at Tk 96-Tk 98 while that of a 5-litre container remained unchanged at Tk 440-Tk 460 in the city’s retail markets on Friday.
Fish prices remained unchanged. Rohita was selling at Tk 200-Tk 320 a kg, katla at Tk 200-Tk 300 a kg, pangas at Tk 120-Tk 280 a kg, and tilapia at Tk 120-Tk 180 a kg, depending on size and quality.
The coarse variety of miniket rice was retailing at Tk 43-Tk 45 a kg, while the fine variety was selling at Tk 46-Tk 50 a kg in the city markets on Friday.
The fine variety of najirshail rice was selling at Tk 52-Tk 54 a kg during the week. The fine variety of BR-28 rice was selling at Tk 42-Tk 44 a kg and the coarse variety at Tk 40 kg on Friday.