Staff Correspondent

Prices of super palm oil, broiler and some vegetables including cauliflower, bitter gourd and tomato rose at the city’s kitchen markets last week while that of all other essential items, including rice, remained unchanged.

On Friday, super palm oil was being sold at Tk 106 a kilogram at Karwan Bazar kitchen market in the city, posting a price hike of Tk 4 per kg over the previous week.

Traders said the price of super palm oil is likely to increase following an increased demand for it as a substitute of soya bean oil, which price is higher than it.

Price of super palm oil used to decline in winter season as it is difficult to use palm oil during the season for being frozen in cold. But, the demand has picked up after the season has gone away, they said.

Abdul Hannan, a retailer at Karwanbazar, told New Age that the wholesaler increased the price of super palm oil on the ground of increased demand two week ago.

Although the shifting demand supposed to have a remedial effect on the price of soya bean oil, the last week did not see any decline in price of soya bean oil, Hannan said.

On Friday, broiler chicken was being sold at Tk 160 a kilogram at Karwan Bazar kitchen market in the city, posting a price hike of Tk 5 per kg over the previous week.

Traders said a short supply of poultry products in the markets due to attacks of bird flu and sharp fall in production in recent weeks contributed to the price hike.

They also said that production cost of poultry items had also shot up due to the price rise of poultry feed and medicines.

Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association president Syed Abu Siddique said the number of poultry farms in the country ranged between 60,000 and 65,000 at the end of 2011, decreasing from 74,000 registered in 2010.

‘The number of farms was around 1,50,000 in 2007 across the country.’ Abu Siddique said.

A medium size cauliflower was being retiled at Tk 30 at Plassey Bazar on Friday, posting a price hike of Tk 10 over the previous week.

Prices of bitter gourd and tomato also increased by Tk 10 per kg over the previous week and were being retailed at Tk 80 and Tk 30 per kg respectively on the day at Plassey Bazar.

Prices of all other vegetables remained unchanged over the last week.

Greengrocers claimed that supply of the vegetable items that posted an increase in price tended decline in recent weeks as the items were being out of season gradually.

Badsha Miah, a vegetable vendor at Plassey Bazar, said price of some vegetables including bitter gourd, okra and long beans would decline as new harvest of the items would start after it rained.

The price of potato declined a little by Tk 3 and was being sold for Tk 12 a kg at Plassey Bazar on Friday.

Price of local onion stood at Tk 22 per kilogram at Plassey Bazar and Karwan Bazar, easing by Tk 2 per kg over the week.

Unpacked soya bean oil continued to be retailed at Tk 124 a litre (Tk 134 a kilogram) at Karwan Bazar on Friday, much higher than Tk 109 a litre set by the government.

The price of bottled soya bean oil continued to range between Tk 625 and Tk 640 for 5 litres at the retail stores in the city, much higher than the government set price proportion of Tk 120 per kg for bottled oil.

Sugar and coarse flour (atta) continued to be sold at Tk 60 and Tk 33 per kilogram at the retail shops at Karwanbazar.

Prices of fine varieties of rice such as Miniket and Najirshail ranged between Tk 40 and Tk 55 a kilogram, of medium variety between Tk 36 and Tk 38, and of coarse variety between Tk 32 and Tk 35 per kg during the week.

Local and imported varieties of lentil sold for Tk 85 and Tk 90 a kilogram. Beef was retailed for Tk 270 a kilogram.