Protein going beyond reach of limited income group

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Almost all protein sources are becoming unreachable to limited income group as well as the middle-class people as their prices have marked a sharp rise in the city markets and elsewhere in the country.

With the soaring price of the protein-rich items like fish, meat, pulses, chicken, egg and milk, many people have resorted to cut consumption of these items causing malnutrition among a large section of the populace.

Mostly, women and children are bearing the brunt of the situation.

The prices of protein-rich items, being dearer for the last few years, surged by 20 to 30 percent in the last one month.

It has become tough to purchase two kgs of beef and two chickens with Tk 1000. Moreover, it takes at least Tk 500 to Tk 600 to purchase a kg of fresh fish whereas it was possible for a five-member family to run a week with this money, said market sources.

Prices of almost all varieties of fish, which is considered as the favourite food item, have also increased by Tk 20-100 per kg in a month, fish market sources said.

It costs at least Tk 50 for a small family to buy half a kg of fish while it takes at least Tk 100 for a five-member family to buy fish.

Visiting Karwan Bazar and Fakirerpool fish markets, The Daily Star correspondent found the prices of small fish like mola, kaski and tilapia ranging from Tk 180-200 per kg yesterday, while prices of shrimp and foli (small size fish) were between Tk 250 and 400 per kg.

A kg of ruhi, katla and nola was selling at Tk 160-200 while tilapia at Tk 100-140 per kg.

Day labourer Zakir Hossain, who came to Karwan Bazar kitchen market from Tejgaon rail station area, yesterday told The Daily Star that he did not find any fish below the price of Tk 100.

“I purchased puti weighing 250-gram at Tk 60. I could have purchased a medium size pangash fish with this money, but my children have became fed-up with the fish since we have long been eating it,” he said.

Mokles Uddin, a salesman of a shop, said he dared to enter the fish market after a week due to price spiral.

“I’ve purchased a pangash fish weighing 600-gram at Tk 50 whereas I should have purchased at least a kg for my six-member family. I’ve to manage two days with this fish,” he said.

Beef was selling at Tk 200-220 per kg while mutton at Tk 260-300 per kg yesterday. It took Tk 100 to Tk 110 to buy a battery-chicken weighing a kg while prices of local chicken were between Tk 100 and Tk 250 yesterday.

Different varieties of pulses were sold between Tk 100 and Tk 115 per kg yesterday while the price was between Tk 70 and Tk 95 a month ago.

Pulses retailers at Karwan Bazar said the sale plummeted significantly with the price hike of the item.

Tofail Ahmed, a grocery shop owner at Karwan Bazar said a customer who used to buy two kgs of pulses a week last year is now purchasing one kg.

Prices of eggs also soared by Tk 5-8 per hali (four pieces) in the last one-month. A hali of eggs was selling at Tk 23-25.

The prices of both the brand and non-brand milk increased by Tk 5-10 per kg in the last month. A litre of packet milk was selling at Tk 45 while a litre of non-brand milk was selling at Tk 45-50, which was sold at Tk 35-40 last month.

Prices of vegetable rose by Tk 3-8 per kg in the last week.

Dr Ataur Rahman, a teacher of Development Studies at Dhaka University, told The Daily Star that people of limited and middle-income groups are suffering from malnutrition with the price hike of essentials.

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