Commodity preservation facility must be improved to avert unusual price hike
Abdul Khaleque Khandker: A market survey shows that local onion is selling at Tk. 30 a kg and potato is selling at Tk. 15-20 in retail markets. But how long will this price be static? – asked some buyers.
A grocer at the Mohakhali DNCC kitchen market whispered into a byer’s ears, “Sir, buy onions as its price will increase soon.”
Prices of key food items, including onions, tomatoes, bean, potatoes and green chili, have fallen after a seasonal price surge late last year, but the market specialists warn of a possible repeat without improvement in storage system.
Although many factors are responsible in our country for the scarcity of essential commodities, the main problem is the lack of storage facilities to preserve food during the boom period.
Onion is a seasonal food; we harvest it during the late Autumn and winter seasons in our country. That is why there is enough onions now in the market. The price may go up again during the rainy season due to scarcity of the produce, although it may not be much like what we experienced last year. Our major problem is lack of storage facilities, we experience a lot of post-harvest losses. If there are storage facilities, we can store onions and other farm produce during the boom period so as to avoid scarcity of the product in the rainy season, think market specialists of the country.
Potatoes became the headline only a few weeks ago when its price sored up the highest ever at Tk. 50 a kg which never happened in our country, many people said, it was because of weak storage facilities.
Also, other commodities like tomatoes and pepper that showed price increases during the festive period have also reduced, but there be the better preserving facilities, thee commodities are possible to get at hand at reasonable price round the year.
A big basket of tomatoes that sold at Tk. for 1000 before now goes for only TK 200 and similar to pepper and other vegetables.
Prices of major food items rose astronomically last year for many reasons including flooding, insecurity and coronavirus pandemic which is persisting this year, too.
It is good now that the price of onions and potatoes have reduced. Some sellers said, “We sellers were troubled as well because we were unable to have good quantity of onions supplies that period. My onions business was put on hold, but now everybody is happy for the reduction of price”.
Another seller said, “The major onion and potato producing areas of the country should be made the store houses by applying scientific process, then we won’t fall in crisis”.