The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

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

In the past one week, they said, prices of fish and meat that went up to some extent due to the impact of the bird flu have also remained unchanged.

Price of poultry birds that came down to Tk 75 from Tk 85-Tk 90 per kg about a month ago following lower demand because of news of outbreak of bird flu remained also unchanged in the last one week. Price of eggs (four pieces) which declined by Tk2 was 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. Traders said prices of varieties of local and imported fish went up sharply following their higher demand during the last one week.

Prices of large-size 'ruhi' (local) were Tk 200-Tk 220 per kg against Tk170-Tk180 a week ago. In the last one week, prices of canned edible oil of different brands of five litres ranged between Tk525 and Tk530 against Tk 515-Tk 516 a week ago and Tk 495-Tk 505 three weeks ago, traders said.

They said prices of non-brand edible oil including soybean and super palm oil went up last week after the government fixed the prices of the same.

During the last one week, non-brand sugar was selling at Tk38 per kg against Tk35 per kg about two weeks ago. At the wholesale level sugar price ranged between Tk 1740 and 1750 (50 kg) against the previous rate at Tk 1640-Tk 1650 (50kg) about a week ago.

At the retail level one kilogramme (kg) of packet coarse flour was selling at Tk 42 remaining unchanged from its previous price a week ago.

In the past one week, prices of rice remained almost unchanged at the retail shops in the capital, as there was not any change in prices of the same at the wholesale level, wholesalers at Badamtoli and Babubazar said.

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 price a week ago.

During the last week, at the wholesale level, Minicate variety of rice was selling at Tk 1437-Tk 1577 (37.50-38 kg) against its previous rate at Tk 1417-Tk 1547 (37.50-38 kg) per maund two weeks ago. Nazirshail variety of rice was selling at Tk 1270-Tk 1373 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1250-Tk 1343 per maund two weeks ago, coarse rice--Swarna--at Tk 1020-1055 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1000-1025 per maund two weeks ago and Paijam (Pari) at Tk 1040-Tk 1074 per maund compared to its previous rate at Tk 1020-Tk 1044 per maund two weeks ago.

During the last week best quality eggplant was selling at Tk 20-Tk25 per kg against Tk 18-Tk 25 a week ago. Green chilli and coriander leaf were selling at Tk 30-Tk 35 per kg.

Price of potato which increased by Tk1-Tk2 was Tk 14-Tk 15 per kg. Price of a small piece of cabbage or cauliflower was Tk 18-Tk 20, traders said.

They said prices of local onion ranged between Tk18 and Tk20 per kg while Indian one 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.