Fruits in markets aplenty but dearer
There is an abundance of different types of seasonal fruits in the markets of the port city of Chittagong though the summer has gone past making the way for monsoon with bumper production in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
Consumers, however, expressed disappointment as prices of the fruits are still high.
The city experienced a flood of different seasonal fruits like mango, jackfruit, pineapple, litchi and palm during the last two months of summer. The fruits come from different parts of the country and abroad.
The traders were satisfied with a good sale while the consumers quite happy with good quality and moderate prices of the fruits this year.
Unlike the previous years the flow of fruits is still present till the first week of July though the sale of the main batch of mango and litchi has already finished. Different types of manoes like fazli, rupali and amropali are now available in the markets.
To meet the demand of the city dwellers jackfruit with rich food value and delicious pineapple grown at Rangamati and Khagrachhari have now grabbed the city markets.
Trucks full of these two fruits from Rangamati and Khagrachhari are arriving at different wholesale trade points of fruit like Firingibazar, BRTC, Station Road and Reazuddin Bazar everyday.
Traders said the two fruits are now plenty in the local markets due to bumper yield in the hilly region of CHT.
These fruits are coming from Subhalong, Longadu, Myani, Marishya and Burighata of Rangamati and some areas of Khagrachhari.
Sabuj, a wholesale trader in BRTC Fall Mondi (fruit storehouse), said alongside from CHT area jackfruits are still coming from Tangail, Madhupur and Panchagarh.
Rangamati supplies around 80 per cent of the pineapples while the rest come from Khagrachhari, he said.
Adequate supply of fruits, however, couldn't rein in their higher price.
During the visit to these wholesale markets on Monday, traders were found selling jackfruits at Tk 5000 to Tk 6000 per hundred while same quantity of pineapples were being sold at Tk 250 to Tk 400.
But vendors in different city streets or city markets are selling a big size of jackfruit at Tk 150 to Tk 200 while a medium one at Tk 60 to Tk 80.
Retailers are selling a pair of pineapple at Tk 10 to Tk 15.
Hasan Tarik, a bank staff, said the price should come down in this late season as there is supply in abundance in the market.
He said there is no reason for such price since the sale of jackfruit is quite good.
Akhter, another consumer, said the sale is good since Chittagong people usually don't like taking jackfruit amidst excessive heat and the present weather is quite moderate.
He blamed the greedy desire of both the wholesale traders and retailers for making profit for the price hike of the fruits.
The traders denying the allegation blamed lack of facilities for proper preservation of these perishable items amid rain for the price hike.
Kalam, a vendor at Karnaphuli CDA Market, said he can't sell a big size of jackfruit below Tk 150 since his fruits are brought from Madhupur and their wholesale rate is also higher.
Wholesaler Sabuj said the price of jackfruits coming from northern region is little higher than that of CHT areas.
Dulal Chandra Dey, General Secretary of Chittagong Fruits Warehouse Owners Association, said they can't preserve huge quantity of fruits due to lack of space in their godowns.
He said some traders charge higher in a bid to cover the loss they face as the fruits easily get rotten in the rainy season.
He underscored the need for setting up more warehouses in the port city with good preservation facilities.
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