The prices of essential vegetables, including onions and green chilies, have surged in Chattogram’s kitchen markets following the Eid-ul-Adha holiday.

Many residents have yet to return to the port city, resulting in numerous closed shops and fewer buyers in the markets.

Despite the reduced footfall, the cost of several daily necessities, such as broiler chicken, eggs, potatoes, green chilies, cucumbers, and tomatoes, has seen a significant increase.

Traders attribute the price hike to farmers not harvesting vegetables during the Eid holidays, coupled with a limited supply of broilers despite high demand. They expect prices to normalize once the supply chain is restored.

A survey conducted on Friday (June 21) at key markets including Reazuddin Market, Chawkbazar, Bahaddarhat, and Kazi Deuri  Market revealed the current scenario. Most vegetable and goods shops were closed, and the open ones had limited supplies, with fewer buyers present.

Typically, post-Eid, the demand for broiler chicken drops, leading to a fall in prices. However, this trend is not observed this year.

 In various retail markets across Chattogram, broiler chicken prices range from Tk180 to 190 per kilogram, with some small traders selling it at Tk195 taka. Sonali chicken is being sold at Tk310 to 340 per kilogram, unchanged from last week. With some bargaining, broiler chicken could be purchased for Tk170 per kilogram in major markets last week.

The egg market is in disarray, with prices varying significantly between major markets and neighborhood shops. Brown farm eggs are being sold for Tk 160 to 170 per dozen in large markets, whereas neighborhood shops sell them for Tk170 to 180 , sometimes even higher.

Abdul Mannan, a retail seller at Jamal Khan, explained, "The wholesale price of eggs was high before Eid. These eggs were bought at that time. Hence, they cannot be sold at a loss. Once new, lower-priced eggs arrive, they will be sold accordingly."

In the vegetable market, green chilies are selling for Tk350 to 400 per kilogram. Potatoes are priced at Tk60, onions at Tk90 , eggplants at Tk100 to 120 , snake gourds at Tk60 , string beans at Tk100 , okra at Tk50 , tomatoes at Tk120, and cucumbers at Tk120  per kilogram. Spine gourds, which were Tk60 to 70 per kilogram a week ago, are now selling at Tk100 to 120.

The fish market is also experiencing high prices. Catfish is being sold for Tk500 to 600  per kilogram, rui fish for Tk280 to 450 per kilogram, pabda fish for Tk500 to 600 per kilogram, hilsa fish for Tk800 to 1800 per kilogram, tilapia fish for Tk180 to 220 per kilogram, and sharpunti fish for Tk160 to 200  per kilogram. Local puti fish is being sold for Tk600 per kilogram.

Delwar Hossain, a vegetable trader at Kazi Deuri Market, noted, "Cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes are in high demand post-Eid. However, the wholesale market has fewer supplies of these items, causing prices to spike."

The potato market remains unstable, with retail prices at Tk60 l per kilogram across all markets. Some neighborhood shops are charging an additional Tk5 per kilogram.

Local garlic is selling for Tk200 to 210 per kilogram, while imported garlic is priced at Tk230 to 250 per kilogram. Local ginger is available for Tk250 to 260 per kilogram, and imported ginger for Tk280 to 300 per kilogram.