The New Nation - Internet Edition

ECONOMIC REPORTER

Prices of some essential consumer items including edible oil and sugar soared again, while prices of rice and flour that marked sharp rise recently remained almost unchanged at the retail shops in city markets during the last one week.

Retailers said prices of fish and beef that went up to some extent due to the bird flu panic, also remained unchanged in the last one week.

Prices of some seasonal vegetables marked slight rise during the past one week.

Prices of sugar has again started rising in the local market after remaining stable for nearly two years.

During the last one week, non-brand sugar was selling at Tk38 per kg against Tk35 per kg a week ago and Tk28-Tk29 a month ago, while branded sugar was selling at Tk 40 per kg. At the wholesale level, sugar price ranged between Tk 1,740-1,750 (50 kg) against previous rate at Tk 1,640-Tk 1,650 (50kg) a week ago.

"We have no alternative but to increase retail price of sugar as we need to procure the same at higher rate from the wholesale market," a trader in the city's Mirpur Section-11 market said.

Importers attributed the sugar price hike in domestic market to the sharp rise in raw sugar prices in international market. Prices of raw sugar ranged between $305-$310 in the international market against $280-$290 a week ago.

They said the price of sugar soared over the past one week also due to the price hike of refined sugar in the international market. The price of refined sugar in the international market is now around US$ 365 a tonne which was $340 per tonne previously.

In the past one week, prices of rice varieties remained almost unchanged at the retail shops in the capital, as there was no change in prices of the same at the wholesale level.

Wholesalers at Badamtoli and Babubazar said prices of rice at the retail shops might go up again.

Over the last week, retailers said, prices of coarse and finer varieties of rice were Tk 31-Tk 32 per kg and Tk 34-Tk 44 per kg respectively in the capital remaining almost unchanged from their previous prices a week ago.During the last week, at the wholesale level, a 50-kg sack of Minicate variety of rice (Abdur Rashid brand) was selling at Tk 2,000-Tk 2,100 (Tk 41-42 kg) against its previous rate at Tk 1,417-Tk 1,547 (37.50-38 kg) two weeks ago.

Najirshail variety of rice was selling at Tk 1270-Tk 1373 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1,250-Tk 1343 per maund two weeks ago, coarse rice--Swarna--at Tk 1,020-1055 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1,000-1,025 per maund two weeks ago and Paijam (Pari) at Tk 1,040-Tk 1,074 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1,020-Tk 1,044 per maund two weeks ago.

During the last one week, non-brand sugar was selling at Tk38 per kg against Tk35 per kg a week ago. At the wholesale level sugar price ranged between Tk 1,740 and Tk 1,750 (50 kg) against previous rate at Tk 1,640-Tk 1,650 (50kg) a week ago.

In the last one week, prices of canned edible oil of different brands of five litres ranged between Tk 515 and Tk 516 against Tk 495-Tk 505 two weeks ago, traders said.

They said the prices of soyabean oil is increased by Tk 4-5 per litre and is now selling at Tk 105 per litre.

Price of poultry birds that came down to Tk 75 from Tk 85-Tk 90 per kg two weeks ago following lower demand because of news of outbreak of bird flu remained unchanged in the last one week. Price of eggs (four pieces) which declined by Tk 2.0 was selling at Tk 15. Beef and mutton were selling at Tk 180-Tk 190 per kg and Tk 240-Tk 250 per kg respectively with slight increase from their previous prices.

On the other hand, traders said, prices of varieties of local and imported fish that went up sharply following their higher demand remained unchanged during the last one week.

Prices of large-size 'ruhi' (local) were Tk 170-Tk 200 per kg, unchanged from previous price.

During the last week, they said, at the retail level one kilogramme (kg) of packet coarse flour was selling at Tk 42, unchanged from its previous price a week ago.

During the last week best quality eggplant was selling at Tk 22-Tk30 per kg against Tk 18-Tk 25 a week ago. Green chilli and coriander leaf were selling at Tk 35-Tk 40 per kg.

Price of potato which increased by Tk 1.0-Tk 2.0 was selling at Tk 14-Tk 15 per kg. Price of a small piece of cabbage or cauliflower was Tk 16-Tk 17, traders said.

They said prices of local onion ranged between Tk18 and Tk20 per kg while the price of Indian onion remained unchanged at Tk16-Tk18 per kg. Price of the finer variety of local lentil remained unchanged at Tk80-Tk 82. Prices of Nepalese and Turkish varieties of lentil, however, also remained unchanged at Tk 72-Tk 75 per kg and Tk 65-Tk 68 per kg respectively. Market operators said prices of powder milk of different brands that on an average went up by at least Tk 10-Tk 35 recently remained almost unchanged over the last one week.