Chandpur Correspondent: Prices of winter vegetables are still relatively high despite adequate supply at kitchen markets in Chandpur, adding to the woes of people with fixed income already overburdened with soaring prices of daily essentials.

Early winter vegetables are available at all the kitchen markets in the district but the exorbitant prices of vegetables make it difficult for low- or middle-income people to purchase them.

Visiting different kitchen markets including Palbazar, Natun Bazar, Puran Bazar, Biponibag Bazar and Wireless Bazar, in Chandpur district town, this Correspondent learnt that all kinds of winter vegetables are available at the markets.

One kg of red spinach is being sold at Tk 30-35, one kg of radish is being sold at Tk 35-40.

Besides, one kg of tomato is being sold at Tk 120-140 while one kg of bitter gourd and beans are being sold at Tk 60 and Tk 80 per kg, respectively.

One kg of okra is being sold at Tk 60 and a small bottle gourd costs Tk 40. A big bottle gourd is being sold at Tk 70-80 at the local markets.

Price of one cauliflower is Tk 40-50 while per kg green chilies is being sold at Tk 80, coriander leaves per kg at Tk 80, cucumber at Tk 40 while four pieces of green banana is being sold at Tk 30-40.

Per kg of eggplant is being sold at Tk 60 at the local markets.

Daily wage earner Sumon Mia, worker Kabir Hossain, school teacher Ibrahim Khalil and private employees Farid Mir, Billal Hossain, Yunus Khan – all at the market – claimed that the prices of winter vegetables is beyond the general consumers’ reach.

High prices of vegetables did not, however, benefit the farmers who are producing the vegetables. Prices of vegetables become higher at the customer level due to exchange of hands, they said.

Mobarak Hossain, senior officer of Department of Agriculture Extension, Chandpur, said winter vegetable production has been affected due to the cyclonic storm Sitrang and the farmers have counted a loss of Tk 158.38 crore.