The market for essential vegetables in Rangpur has become uncontrollable. Due to lack of supervision of the administration and regular market monitoring, the prices of vegetables have gone up in several stages. The prices of potatoes, eggplant and green chilies have doubled in a month.
Even a month ago, the price of potato was Taka 25 to 26 per kg, now it is being sold at Taka 50-55 per kg. The price of eggplant has doubled in a month. Now the price of eggplant has come down to Tk. 80 per kg. The prices of all kinds of vegetables are also increasing.
On Wednesday (October 14) at noon, Rangpur City Bazar, Shapla Chattar Khan Multipurpose kitchen Market, Kamal Kuncha Bazar and several other kitchen markets were visited.
Meanwhile, traders said several floods and heavy rains have also affected vegetable groth. Besides, the price seems to be a bit high due to low supply of raw vegetables. In the City market of Rangpur city the supply of vegetables has decreased in this largest wholesale and retail market of the district. The supply of vegetables has decreased by about 40 percent compared to any other time.
Even 10 days ago, eggplant was Taka 40-50 in the vegetable market in Rangpur. Now that is Tk.75-80. The potato that was Tk. 20-30, now the price has gone up to Tk.50 to 55. Along with eggplant and potato, the price has also gone up. Earlier, green chillies were sold for Taka 180 to 200 per kg. But now the prices of all vegetables are high. Buyers complained that the situation in the vegetable market is now out of control. Prices are skyrocketing. There is no headache for anyone. Low-income people have suffered the most to raise the prices of daily food items. As there is no monitoring, the price of vegetables has increased by Tk. 10-25 per kg in a month. Somewhere during the day it is sold at a higher price but at night it has to be bought at a higher price. Traders are blaming the supply crisis as the reason for the price issue.
They claim that the supply of raw vegetables in the market is less than before. As a result, traders have to buy at higher prices and sell at higher prices. The business community is also polluting the situation with heavy rains and floods. Although the fields are full of early winter vegetables every year, this time most of the crops, including perishable vegetables, have been destroyed by the floods, which has put pressure on potatoes, so traders said the price is a little higher.
Meanwhile, Anam Mia and Saker Hossain, vegetable sellers of the city's Shapla Chattar Khan Multipurpose Raw Market, said prices of all vegetables have gone up. The supply of vegetables from the village to the raw market has now decreased. Due to which the price of all vegetables has increased by Tk. 20 to 30 per kg in two-three weeks. We also have to buy at higher prices due to low supply.
In this market, a month ago, potato was Taka 40 per kg. eggplant was Tk. 35 to Taka 60 per kg. Now potatoes are being sold at Tk. 50 to Tk. 52 and eggplants at Tk. 75 to Taka 80. In addition, the prices of cockroaches, turnips, barbati, spinach, cucumber, coriander and lentils also went up. Low and middle income buyers are suffering due to abnormal rise in prices of vegetables.
They said that the price of fish and meat is the same as the price of vegetables. Prices of all kinds of vegetables are beyond our reach. Although the price has gone up by leaps and bounds, the administration has no supervision. Market monitoring authorities are silent. Somewhere raw sub-vegetables are also being sold at the same price now.
Meanwhile, despite the government's move to control the potato market, most markets in Rangpur were seen selling potatoes above Tk. 40 on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the Department of Agricultural Marketing said that the market will come to a tolerable level in a few days. Mohammad Anwarul Haque, deputy director of the Rangpur Agricultural Marketing Department, said, "If there is no coordination of supply, we will be deviated." This condition will not last long. Winter vegetables have started coming to the market. This situation will improve very soon.
He added that the government has taken steps to control the potato market. The price of per kg potato has been fixed at Tk. 23 at cold storage, Tk. 25 at wholesale and Tk. 30 at retail level. The Department of Agricultural Marketing has written to the Deputy Commissioners across the country to ensure sale of essential vegetables at that fixed price.