The weeklong nationwide lockdown has suddenly pushed up vegetable prices in most of the kitchen markets in Dhaka.
In a span of just two days, the prices of eggplant, tomato, lemon, and cucumber have almost doubled, which the sellers blamed on a lack of supply amid the lockdown.
In the capital's Kawran Bazar, cucumbers were being sold at Tk80-90 per kg on Thursday, while lemons cost Tk60 per kg, papayas cost Tk50 per kg, eggplants were selling for Tk90-110 per kg and tomatoes at Tk50-70 per kg.
On average, everything is at least Tk10 more than last week, according to both buyers and sellers.
Matiur Bepari, a retailer in Dhanmondi, said the prices of some vegetables have gone up abnormally.
“This is due to low supply. The price of vegetables is also higher at the Karwan Bazar kitchen market,” he said, adding that this was why he too had raised prices. “Wholesale price of vegetables has gone up from Tk40 to Tk50 per 5kg at Karwan Bazar.”
But disgruntled customers said that despite the increase in prices, they saw no shortage of vegetables in the market.
Deen Islam, who came to the market to buy groceries, said there is no shortage of vegetables.
“The sellers just needed an excuse to increase the prices, so they are doing that amid the lockdown,” he said.
Wholesalers in Karwan Bazar claimed that as vegetable-laden vehicles could not arrive at the market due to the lockdown, they had to raise prices.
Anwar Hossain, a shopper at Karwan Bazar, said during Ramadan, sellers always raise prices in the kitchen markets.
