The soaring prices of vegetables in Dhaka are causing alarm as production costs double, impacting both farmers and consumers. Vegetable farmer Manirul Islam, based in Mathurapur village, Jashore Sadar upazila, and Tota Mia from Khadimpur, Alamdanga upazila, Chuadanga, share their experiences of selling tomatoes and eggplants at wholesale markets, revealing a stark disparity between production and retail costs.
In recent market transactions, eggplants, which were sold at Tk 45 per kg at the local Bara Bazar market, reached staggering retail prices of Tk 80 to Tk 100 in Moghbazar, Malibagh, and Shahjahanpur markets in Dhaka. Similarly, tomatoes witnessed a surge, selling at Tk 50 to Tk 70, almost twice the production prices.
Vegetables across the board are experiencing inflated prices in Dhaka, with cauliflower priced at Tk 50 to Tk 60 per piece, large cauliflowers at Tk 80 each, cabbages at Tk 50 to 60, beans at Tk 60 to 80, broccoli at Tk 70 to 80, and good quality gourd at Tk 100 to 120 per piece. While winter vegetables like papaya, radish, and turnip remain below Tk 50, most others have witnessed significant price hikes.
Analysis of wholesale markets in Jashore, Chuadanga, and Bogura reveals that prices for beans, cauliflowers, and gourds are significantly lower compared to retail prices in Dhaka. Concerns are growing as the rate of vegetables at the production level surpasses last year’s figures due to increased production costs.
Vegetable farmer Inarul Haque from Chuadanga is satisfied with this year’s prices, emphasizing that gourds are being purchased at Tk 40 each directly from the fields, compared to Tk 5 to Tk 8 last year. However, overall vegetable production has decreased this year, with cultivation occurring on 8,080 hectares, down from 8,460 hectares.
Deputy Director Matlubar Rahman of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chudanga attributes the rise in vegetable prices to middlemen selling at inflated rates, creating a ripple effect from production to retail. Although the production cost increased slightly due to rising prices of agricultural equipment, favorable weather conditions sustained overall production.
As commodity prices remain high, instability in retail markets persists, affecting essential items like rice, flour, lentils, edible oil, and sugar. Fish, meat, and egg prices are also elevated, with broiler chicken priced at Tk 200 to 210 per kg, Sonali chicken at Tk 310 to 330, and beef at Tk 650 to 700 per kg.
Consumers express frustration as essential items show no signs of price reduction, with Abdul Khalek from Shahjahanpur lamenting, “Vegetables have never been this costly.”
