Consumers in Dhaka are grappling with an acute shortage of bottled soybean oil with half-liter and one-liter bottles virtually unavailable in retail grocery stores. Shoppers are being forced to scour multiple shops are often returning empty-handed or resorting to buying loose oil.
Market visits on Friday revealed that despite the price hike on September 2 which set bottled soybean oil at Tk.204 per liter market supply has severely plummeted. Currently only two- and five-liter bottles from a handful of brands are sporadically available.
Retailers allege that refining companies have artificially restricted the supply of bottled oil. Furthermore, shopkeepers claim their sales commission has been slashed to a meager Tk.1 per liter. "If a customer buys a five-liter bottle and negotiates a Tk.5 discount we are left with zero profit" said Afzal Hossain, a grocer in Rampura.
Capitalizing on the bottled oil deficit, the price of loose soybean oil has climbed to Tk.205–208 per liter while loose palm oil is selling for Tk.180–185 per liter.
Egg Prices on the Rise
Adding to consumer woes, the price of farm chicken eggs has increased by Tk.5 per dozen over the past week, now retailing at Tk.150–155.
Fortunately, the poultry meat market remains stable. Broiler chicken is steadily selling at Tk.180–190 per kg and Sonali chicken is priced around Tk.330 per kg.
Vegetable Market Overview
Vegetable prices remain largely stable but continue to sit at a high baseline. Everyday staples like pointed gourd (potol) and cucumbers are priced between Tk.50 and Tk.60 per kg. Ridge gourd (jhinga) and teasel gourd (kakrol) are selling for Tk.70–90 per kg.
However, some vegetables remain expensive. Bitter gourd (korola) is selling for Tk.100–130 per kg and yardlong beans (borboti) are fetching upwards of Tk 100 per kg. Meanwhile, the price of green chilies has witnessed a sharp spike, jumping from Tk.80–120 last week to Tk.140–180 per kg.
