Potato price may go up to Tk 100 per kg

Need to import urgently: Experts

Staff Correspondent: Potato price may go up to Tk 100 per kilogram in a week, as forecasted by the market experts. This is the potato seedling time and the potato farmers are preparing for preparing their lands. In the real scenes, there is a shortage of potato in the market and the price shoot up to Tk 60 per kg yesterday. It could be cross Tk 100 in 2/3 days due to the extra pressure of demand for seedlings.
The market experts suggested the government to import potato urgently due the mitigate the demand of seed potato, otherwise, the target of potato production next season will not achieved, they suggested.
At the consumer level, the government fixes fixed prices to keep the prices of eggs, potatoes, onions, soybeans and sugar bearable. On September 14, in a directive of the Ministry of Commerce, the price of each egg was Tk 12, per kg of potato was Tk 35 to 36 and the price of Tk 65 per kg of onion was given. But no one obeys the government’s instructions. On the contrary, theses products are being sold at higher prices.
Basabo, Mothertekkitchen market of the capital was visited on Friday, it was seen that per kg of local onion is being sold at Tk 110 and Indian onion at Tk 100. The price of each egg is kept at Tk 15. Depending on the quality and size of eggs, one has to buy Tk 60 per hali of egg.
On the other hand, although there is a directive to sell potatoes at the rate of Tk 35 per kg at the retail level, potatoes are being sold at the rate of Tk 60 per kg. Refined open sugar is being sold at Tk 145 per kg increased by Tk 15. Packaged sugar is supposed to be sold at Tk 135 per kg but it is being sold at Tk 160 per kg increased by Tk 25.
It has also been seen from the market that soybeans are being sold at Tk 180 per kg, which has been increased by Tk 26 from the price set by the government.
Consumers are expressing their anger due to the rampant prices of everything in the market. Many of them are blaming the government for this market condition.
Kabir Ahmed, an official of a private company who came to the market, said, what can I say, we have nothing to say. We have no choice but to die. Did the government set the price and did not give it, are the traders waiting? If the price increases, they immediately increase the price, but if the price decreases, they do not decrease. The government is unable to do anything. The ghost of the syndicate is not leaving behind. I hear Syndicate in everything.
Another buyer Sajeda Begum said, now do not come to the market with a list. Don’t buy anything for the whole month. I would live if I could stop eating at the price of everything. I can’t do that either.
He further said, we want the government to play an effective role. The way discrete monitoring and operations are conducted does nothing. The masterminds of the syndicate must be caught. Only then the common people can eat and live.
Meanwhile, traders say that they cannot buy anything at a low price. Everything has to be bought at a high price. So, if you want to sell it at retail, you have to sell it at a little higher price. It is not possible to reduce the price at the consumer level if the price is not reduced.
When asked why eggs are not being sold at the fixed price set by the government, egg seller Haris Uddin said, “We bought eggs at Tk 12.50 per piece.” Some of these eggs are broken or spoiled. As a result, it is not possible to sell below Tk 15. Buying a dozen of eggs for Tk 155, you have to make some profit. If we could buy at a lower price, we could sell at a lower price. We really have nothing.
In response to another question, the onion seller said. Awal said, I bought local onion for Tk 100 per kg in the wholesale market. We are selling at Tk 110 per kg at a profit of Tk 10. Those who are demanding do not give goods at a low price, how can we give? They are syndicated. They are the ones who increase the price by keeping the goods in stock.
He also said that Indian onion has to be bought at Tk 85 to 90 from Shyambazar on Friday morning. Buying onions for Tk 90 and bringing these goods costs another Tk 3 to 4. Then there is no way to sell less than Tk 100.