Chicken and Beef Prices Rise Along with Sales Ahead of Shab-e-Barat. Ahead of Shab-e-Barat, the demand for chicken and beef has increased, leading to a price hike in some areas. Additionally, bottled soybean oil remains scarce in most shops. Due to the shortage, the price of loose soybean oil has surged, causing some retailers to stop selling it altogether. A visit to Rampura, Tejgaon, and Karwan Bazar on Thursday revealed these market trends.
Chicken and Beef Prices Rise Along: For the past six to seven months, beef prices have ranged between 650 to 750 BDT per kg. However, due to increased demand for Shab-e-Barat, the price has risen in some areas. While larger markets still sell it at previous rates, some smaller neighborhood markets have increased the price to 800 BDT per kg.
The price of broiler chicken has remained around 200 BDT per kg for the past one to one-and-a-half months. Last week, it was selling at 190-200 BDT per kg, but as of Thursday, the price increased by 10 BDT, forcing buyers to pay 200-210 BDT per kg. The Sonali chicken variety also saw a 20 BDT rise, now selling at 290-320 BDT per kg compared to last week.
Vendors Explain the Price Hike
Rabiul Hasan, a meat seller from Tejgaon, stated that the price increased due to higher customer demand for Shab-e-Barat. Yasin Ali, a salesman at Noorjahan Chicken House in Karwan Bazar, reported a twofold increase in customer traffic compared to regular days. He confirmed a 10 BDT per kg price increase.
Cooking Oil Crisis Continues
The edible oil crisis persists, with a shortage of bottled soybean oil for over a month. Due to this scarcity, loose soybean oil prices have surged, leading many sellers to stop selling it altogether.
Md. Naim, owner of Abdur Rob Store in Karwan Bazar, stated:
“Even when we request five cartons of oil from suppliers, we receive only two, which sell out in a single day. The government has set the price of loose soybean oil at 157 BDT per liter, but we have to buy it at 190 BDT per liter from wholesalers. As a result, we have stopped selling loose oil for the past week.”
Grocery Stores See Increased Demand
Shab-e-Barat has led to a significant surge in customers at grocery stores, where shopkeepers are busy handling sales. Most customers are purchasing chickpeas, sugar, oil, and spices.
Rice and Vegetable Market Trends
Rice prices, which have remained high for months, are now slightly decreasing due to imports. Retailers reported a 2-3 BDT per kg drop over the past week.
While onion prices remain stable at 48-50 BDT per kg, garlic prices have surged.
Local garlic now costs 150-160 BDT per kg
Imported garlic has increased to 250-255 BDT per kg, which is 10 BDT more than last week.
Ginger prices have also risen by 10-20 BDT per kg, now selling at 170-190 BDT per kg.
Vegetable Prices Mostly Stable, Except for a Few Increases
Most vegetable prices remain within affordable ranges, though prices of eggplant and potatoes have increased.
Long eggplant increased by 10 BDT per kg, now selling at 50-60 BDT per kg.
Potatoes rose by 5 BDT per kg, now selling at 25 BDT per kg.
Other vegetable prices:
Radish & Turnip: 15-20 BDT per kg
Beans & Carrots: 30-40 BDT per kg
Cauliflower & Cabbage: 20-25 BDT per piece
Bottle Gourd: 40-60 BDT per piece
Tomato: 20-25 BDT per kg
Cucumber: 50-60 BDT per kg
Green chilies: 40-60 BDT per kg
The fish market has remained relatively unchanged.
Eggplant Prices Expected to Rise Further
Shamim Ahmed, a vegetable seller at Karwan Bazar, predicted that eggplant prices will increase further in the coming days, as demand typically rises during Ramadan.
