Sugar price up by 65pc, potato price doubles in a year
Courtesy New Age 12/9/09
Staff Correspondent
The price of sugar, potato, lentils and pilau rice increased in the past week because of supply shortage on the wholesale market and buying for Eid.
Sugar was retailed between Tk 60 and Tk 62 in the city, up by Tk 10 in a week and Tk 16 in a month.
Sugar prices increased by about 65 per cent in a year. The daily market report of the Trading Corporation of
‘Sugar price increased on the wholesale market because of supply shortage in the past week,’ said Mohammad Ali, a trader of Maulavibazar.
Sugar sold for Tk 55 a kilogram on the wholesale market at Maulvibazar on Thursday, up by Tk 12 in the week.
A top executive of a private sugar refinery told New Age the price increased because of panic buying on the wholesale and the retail market.
Potato prices increased by Tk 2 in the week to sell for prices between Tk 28 and Tk 30 on Friday.
Potato was retailed for half the present price in the middle of September 2008, according to a report of the Trading Corporation of
Red lentil price increased by at least Tk 4 in the week as inferior grade imported variety of red lentils was retailed between Tk 102 and Tk 106 a kilogram on Friday. Fine grade local variety of red lentils sold for prices between Tk 120 and Tk 124.
Price increase at import sources has pushed up the prices, said traders at the Rahmatganj wholesale market.
Non-packed pilau rice price increased by Tk 10 in two weeks to sell for prices between Tk 70 and Tk 80 a kilogram on Friday.
Increased demand, coupled with the recent withdrawal of ban on pilau rice export, has pushed up the prices before Eid, market observers said.
The Indian variety of onions was retailed for prices between Tk 24 and Tk 26 a kilogram on Friday, up by Tk 2 in the week, and the local variety for Tk 40.
Fish prices saw declined in the week as the supply increased at the end of monsoon.
A hilsa weighing about a kilogram sold for Tk 350 at Mohakhali on Friday, down by Tk 150 in two weeks.
Rice prices remained somewhat stable on the wholesale market after marking an increase for two weeks before. But the prices on the retail market continued increasing.
Coarse varieties of rice were retailed for prices between Tk 22 and Tk 24 a kilogram, up by Tk 1 or Tk 2 in two weeks. Fine local varieties sold for prices between Tk 32 and Tk 34.
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