Because of continuous rain, the supply of various kinds of vegetables in Joypurhat’s Khetlal upazila has fallen, pushing up prices in the market. In the space of a week the price of most vegetables has risen by 15 to 20 taka a kilogram. With supply low in the market, the effect has been felt at both the wholesale and retail levels.
A tour of the Itakhola haat, Battoli haat and Thana Bazar–Monjar Bazar in the upazila showed that although prices had risen somewhat in the wholesale market, vegetables were selling at even higher prices in the retail market. Over the past week the prices of various vegetables — including potato, potol (pointed gourd), brinjal, kakrol (spiny gourd), bitter gourd and okra — have risen. At the Itakhola market on Friday, potato was seen selling at 25–35 taka a kilogram, brinjal at 100–120 taka, potol at 40–50 taka, sweet pumpkin at 40–50 taka, bitter gourd at 80–100 taka, arum stolon at 60–70 taka, kakrol at 80 taka, okra at 40 taka and green chilli at 200–220 taka a kilogram. In addition, each bottle gourd is selling for 25–30 taka.
Vegetable sellers said that with water logged in many fields because of the continuous rain, collecting vegetables is proving difficult. Yields have also fallen. As a result, with supply falling in the market, prices have risen. Prices will come down once supply returns to normal.
Buyers, on the other hand, complain that the prices of the same kind of vegetable vary within the same market. While some sell at normal prices, some traders are charging extra. This is putting the pressure of added expense on ordinary people when buying everyday vegetables.
Those connected with the market hope that once the rain eases and vegetables can be harvested from the fields and supplied to the market normally, prices will come down within the next few days.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report