Prices of different types of fish have remained high in the wholesale and retail markets of the city despite the onset of the rainy season, which usually is known to be a time for abundance of fish. A visit to different kitchen markets revealed an unusually low supply of fish—both from rivers and other waterbodies. Retailers said the low supply has pushed up the prices.

Nadia Tabassum Khan, an employee of a market research company, told The Independent yesterday that she had bought Ruhi fish from a retailer at Dhanmondo for Tk. 350 a kg last week. “Usually the price of this fish hovers around Tk. 250-270. But now, I'm buying the same by paying Tk. 80-90 more.”

In Karwan Bazaar, large-size lobsters were being sold for Tk. 1,000 per kg. A medium-sized hilsa was selling for Tk. 1,200-1,500. Prices of other fish also remained high throughout the week: Ruhi was selling for Tk. 250-350 a kg, Katla for Tk. 200-300, Pangas for Tk. 120-170 and Tilapia for Tk. 120-180, depending on their size and quality.

The price of eggs has shot up in the past few weeks. Currently, a dozen eggs cost over Tk. 100, but it was around Tk. 70 just a month ago. The price of eggs was stable for nearly a month and then began to rise towards the end of June amid a gradual decline in the supply of duck eggs.

Egg traders said egg production is on the decline as chicken farms are shutting down.

A customer told The Independent that vegetable prices have remained low this week, but chilli and egg prices are still high. "Government officials do not monitor the irregularities," he alleged.

The price of chilli is also very high at the retail market. Chilli was being offered at Tk. 130-150 a kg yesterday. But it had been selling for Tk. 40-50 during Ramadan.

Onion prices registered a slight increase. It had been selling for Tk. 40-45 a kg a couple weeks ago, but it was available for Tk. 50 yesterday.

Imported Indian onions sold for Tk. 30-35 a kg as against last week's Tk. 25-30 kg. The price of garlic also witnessed a slight rise, with imported garlic being sold for Tk. 3-4 a kg.

However, in most kitchen markets, including Karwan Bazar, this correspondent found the supply of most vegetables, such as potato, eggplant, snake gourd, and pointed gourd, to be normal.

But the price of tomatoes, which sold for Tk. 100-110 a kg last week, was slightly lower.  In Karwanbazar, tomatoes sold for Tk. 70-80 per kg.

The prices of most vegetables, including tomatoes, declined this week. Potato was selling for Tk. 30 a kg yesterday.

A trader told The Independent that rains and localised floods have rendered no damage to vegetable production. Hence, the prices of all vegetables are quite low in the market.

Most of the vegetables sold for less than Tk. 30. Bitter gourd, pointed gourd, and ridged gourd were among them. Pointed gourds and bitter gourds were selling for Tk. 25-30.

Also, asparagus, beans, and okra recorded a fall of about Tk. 5-10 per kg.

The price of teasel gourds, which had earlier been priced at Tk. 70-80 a kg, was being sold for Tk. 40-45 yesterday.

Prices of red spinach, green spinach, jute leaves, red amaranth and water amaranth increased by Tk. 10-15.

Rice prices remained high throughout the week. Coarse rice was selling for Tk. 45-48 a kg and fine rice for Tk. 65-70 a kg.