The prices of most vegetables have doubled in the capital’s kitchen markets compared to a week ago due to supply crunch, according to consumers. At several kitchen markets in the city on Sunday, each kg broiler chicken was selling at Tk170-180 which was Tk150-160 a week ago. It was sold for Tk120-130 last month. Besides, the prices of different daily essential commodities including soybean and palm oil, chicken, flour and sugar keep on soaring in Dhaka’s kitchen markets ahead of the month of Ramadan. The consumers urged the government to take proper steps to control the prices at the kitchen markets in the holy month of Ramadan amid the COVID-19 crisis. Also read: Prices of daily essentials soar in kitchen markets Shariful Alam, a resident of Amulia, said he has to purchase most vegetables at double the prices compared to a week ago. “Today I bought a kg of aubergine and cucumber at Tk50 which was Tk25 respectively in the last week. Besides, I purchased a kg broiler at Tk170 which was Tk150 a week ago,” he also shared. A hali of lemon (four pieces) was selling at Tk40-60, each kg arum at Tk40-50, bitter gourd at Tk50-60, papaya at Tk40, bean at Tk40-60 and yardlong bean at Tk50, lady's finger at Tk60, calabash at Tk40-50, and patal (pointed gourd) at Tk50-60 in capital.

The prices of green chilli shot up to more than Tk 200 in the city kitchen markets with floods damaging crop fields in many districts leading to supply crunch.

The prices of daily essentials fell significantly in Dhaka’s kitchen markets as hundreds of thousands of people left the capital during the government announced holiday to prevent the spread of coronavirus.   At the kitchen markets, vegetable traders and shopkeepers are passing idle times.   “There are not many customers now,” said Shariful Islam, a shopkeeper at Bangshal. “We’re selling a kg of onion at Tk40-50, potato at Tk20, aubergine at Tk30-40, tomato at Tk30, a piece calabash at Tk40.”   Nahid Hasan, a vegetable vendor at Shantinagar, said he bought some vegetable from wholesale market but has failed to sell them. “I sell a kg of radish at Tk20, cucumber at Tk25, aubergine at Tk30. The prices were doubled only a few days ago,” he said, noting that the business took a nosedive as people left Dhaka and restaurants were closed.

Prices of onions have started to come down again in Dhaka kitchen markets.