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Early winter vegetables have begun arriving in kitchen markets across the capital, yet consumers continue to face significant financial strain as prices remain elevated. A spot check at the Mohammadpur Town Hall Market on Friday revealed that newly arrived seasonal produce, alongside staple fish, chicken, and egg varieties, are being sold at steep rates, offering little relief to buyers who typically expect lower costs with the onset of the winter harvesting season.
In the vegetable segment, newly harvested potatoes are retailing at Tk 160 per kilogram, while local tomatoes are priced between Tk 180 and Tk 220 per kilogram, and standard varieties are selling at Tk 120 per kilogram. While green papaya and sweet pumpkin remain relatively affordable at Tk 30 and Tk 40 per kilogram respectively, and cauliflower, cabbage, and pointed gourd are available at Tk 60 per kilogram, several staples have crossed the hundred-taka mark. Ridge gourd, teasle gourd, and country beans are selling at Tk 100 per kilogram, long eggplants at Tk 100, round eggplants at Tk 120, carrots at Tk 140, green chillies at Tk 140, and bottle gourd between Tk 60 and Tk 80 each. Traders noted that initial supplies of new seasonal produce naturally enter the market at premium rates due to limited volumes, whereas consumers voiced frustration over the growing gap between producer-level farmgate prices and retail rates in urban centres.
The poultry and fish markets are witnessing similarly elevated trends. Broiler chicken is selling at Tk 190 per kilogram, while the Sonali variety is commanding Tk 310 to Tk 320 per kilogram. Farm brown eggs are retailing at Tk 140 per dozen, with white eggs priced at Tk 130. In the fish aisles, budget options like farmed pangas and tilapia are selling at Tk 230 and Tk 260 per kilogram respectively, while rui is selling at Tk 350 and farmed shing at Tk 450. Larger wild and indigenous varieties remain significantly costlier: large katla is selling between Tk 600 and Tk 800, tangra at Tk 700, ayr fish between Tk 700 and Tk 1,250, freshwater eel (bain) between Tk 900 and Tk 1,200, native shing at Tk 1,000, and large prawns at Tk 1,400 per kilogram. Hilsa prices also remain high, with 900-gram specimens selling for Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,200 per kilogram and one-kilogram specimens fetching up to Tk 2,600.
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