The fixed income group, usually drawing salaries from a job, and large swathes of the middle class are facing an uncomfortable situation in the kitchen market, as minimum prices of vegetables at Tk 50, and fish or chicken a minimum Tk 230 per kg.
Visiting different kitchen markets and talking with the consumers, the correspondent gathered experienced that people are cutting consumption of protein to adjust with inflationary price hike.
Tabibur Rahman, a private job holder who draws a monthly salary of Tk 52,000, lives with five members of his family (wife, 2 children and mother) at Tejkunipara of Tejgaon in the capital.
Talking with the news agency at Karwan Bazar on Friday, he said that he had been avoiding chicken, beef and costly fish items since Eid-ul-Fitr, as the prices of these items were on a rising trend. To maintain family expenditure with the salary he has to almost completely forego animal and fish protein.
Moreover, utility bills, medicine costs for an old-aged mother and the education cost of his two children also shot up. So Tabibur was forced to change their food consumption habits to maintain his family expenditures.
He is depending on protein on pangash, eggs and other low-cost items. Several service holders like Tabibur echo the same experience as him.
However, prices of green chili, vegetables, eggs and chicken were up pretty steeply聽 Friday in the kitchen market of the capital.
The price of green chili increased by Tk 100 per kg, selling at Tk 200 to 220 per kg on Friday. The green chili was sold at Tk 80 to 100 per kg in the first week of this month.
Egg prices remained on a rising trend since the beginning of this month, selling at Tk 165-170 per dozen on Friday in the capital -an increase of Tk 30 per dozen this month.
Eggs from domestically-reared hens are selling at Tk 85-90 per hali (4 pieces), and duck鈥檚 eggs were selling at Tk 75-80 per hali.
The price of broiler chicken and Pakistani-origin Sonali chicken have increased by Tk 10 to 20 per kg in the last two weeks. Broiler chicken was selling at Tk 220 to 240 per kg based on size and quality. Apart from this, the price of Sonali chicken has also increased and is being sold at Tk 360 to 370 per kg based on size and quality.
Similarly, cock chicken is being sold at Tk 370 to 390 per kg, layer chicken at Tk 300 to Tk350 per kg, and indigenous (desi) chicken at Tk 670 to Tk 765 per kg.
The traders of the concerned sectors said that prices of chicken increased due to price hikes of chicken food and chicks. Besides, the ongoing heat wave also affected chicken farms, which also impacted on the price hike.
Beef was selling between Tk 750 to 780 per kg on Friday based on quality, and saw a rise of price by Tk 30 per kg than other days of the week. Mutton and goat meat was selling at Tk1,000 to 1,180 per kg based on quality, which saw an increase of Tk 50 per kg.
Hilsha weighing about 450 grams was selling at Tk 650 per kg while Hilsha weighing 1 kg-plus were selling at Tk 1,800 to 2,000 per kg at Karwan Bazar fish market on Friday. Hilsha weighing 700 to 800 grams were selling at Tk 900 to 1,000 per piece.
Fish like Ruhi and Carp were selling between Tk 300 to 450 per kg based on size and quality. Riverine small fish were selling at Tk 400 to 700 per kg on Friday.
Meanwhile, the prices of vegetables have stabilised at a higher rate this time compared to the previous years. Traders blame overall inflation for this higher price. Vegetables including eggplant, okra, drumsticks, string beans, and bitter gourd were stable between Tk 50 to 60 per kg on Friday. The prices of tomatoes have increased as the season is ending. Good quality tomatoes were selling between Tk 60 to 70 per kg.
Brinjals were selling between Tk 50 to 60 per kg, while bottle gourd, ash gourd, and cauliflower at Tk 50 to 60 per piece.
Local variety of onion was selling between Tk 70 to 80 per kg, garlic at Tk 180 to 250, and ginger at Tk 200 to 280 per kg based on quality.
The prices of some other commodities including rice including aromatic rice, wheat, flour, milk, and soybean have remained unchanged.