Due to a sudden increase in vegetable supply in the Rajshahi market, the prices of several vegetables including cucumber, brinjal and green chilli have decreased compared to last week. However, the prices of eggs and chicken have remained unchanged and the fish market is high, so consumers are not 100% relieved.

This pattern of daily necessities was observed after visiting several markets, including the city’s historic Saheb Bazar.

A visit to the vegetable market shows that currently cucumbers are being sold at 40 to 45 taka per kg, green chillies at 90 to 100 taka, bitter gourd at 40 taka, potatoes at 20 to 25 taka, onions at 45 to 50 taka, sweet potatoes at 30 to 35 taka, eggplants at 60 to 70 taka, cauliflower at 50 to 60 taka, shrimp at 40 to 45 taka, chickpeas at 40 taka, beans at 120 to 130 taka, beetroot at 50 to 60 taka, kachur leaves at 40 to 50 taka, raw papaya at 20 to 25 taka, and sweet pumpkin at 40 to 50 taka per kg.

Apart from this, the prices of banana are stable at 25 to 30 taka per hali, gourd at 25 to 30 taka each, rice pumpkin at 30 to 40 taka and ole at 50 to 60 taka per kg. Carrots are available at 140 to 150 taka and tomatoes at 120 to 140 taka per kg, while among spice products, ginger is being sold at 170 to 180 taka, Natore garlic at 70 to 80 taka and local garlic at 150 to 160 taka per kg.

Meanwhile, maintaining the normal price like last week, red eggs are available in the market at 48 to 50 taka per hali, white eggs at 44 taka, duck eggs at 70 taka and local chicken eggs at 75 to 80 taka. There was no significant change in the price of chicken either; broiler is being sold at 180 to 190 taka per kg, golden at 260 to 280 taka, local chicken at 520 to 550 taka, white layer at 280 to 290 taka, red layer at 330 to 340 taka, foamy at 320 to 330 taka and duck at 260 to 270 taka per kg.

However, buyers are still having to buy products at high prices in the fish market. Sellers are charging Rs. 260 to 300 per kg for rui, Rs. 300 to 350 for katla, Rs. 170 to 200 for tilapia and pangasius, Rs. 200 to 220 for farmed koi, Rs. 300 to 350 for farmed shung, Rs. 550 to 650 for tengra, Rs. 600 to 800 for boal, Rs. 700 to 750 for coral, Rs. 650 to 900 for shrimp, Rs. 800 to 1000 for desi koi and Rs. 1000 to 1200 for desi shung.

Abdul Halim, a vegetable seller at Saheb Bazar, said that the prices of vegetables at the wholesale and retail levels have come down quite a bit due to the increased supply of vegetables in the market from different places. Student Rakib Hasan and buyer Sumaiya Akhter, who came to shop at the market, said that although the reduction in the prices of products like cucumber and brinjal has brought some convenience to the common people’s shopping, the cost pressure on them remains due to the high prices of fish and eggs. On the other hand, egg and chicken traders said that the prices of these products in the market are stable due to normal supply.