The prices of broiler chicken and coarse rice have increased in the city markets, hitting the commoners hard.
The price of broiler chicken showed a downtrend after Eid-ul-Fitr festival last month. But it reached the price level during the pre-Eid period.
Broiler chicken, considered as the key protein source for low income people, was retailed at Tk 160-Tk 175 per kilogram in different areas of the city on Monday.
It was traded at Tk 130-Tk 145 a kg few days back.
The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) recorded, on average, 20 per cent hike in the broiler chicken price in last seven days.
Traders attributed the hike to closure of many poultry farms in some districts following a drop in the demand for chicken during the 45-day holiday announced by the government to contain the spread of corona virus pandemic.
Heavy rain in many districts in recent times also caused a supply disruption, they said.
Habitué Raman, a chicken vendor at Jafrabadin Rayebazar, said the prices of broiler chicken started increasing from Sunday after remaining static for last two weeks.
The prices of broiler birds were Tk 150-Tk 152 a kg at farmers' level in Sirajganj, Tangail, Gazipur, Savar, Keraniganj, Dhamrai and Cumilla which was Tk 125-Tk 128 a kg on Saturday, he added.
However, poultry farmers said there is a shortage of day-oldchick (DOC) as many big farms stopped hatching DOCs due to falling demand.
Scarcity of DOCs is also leading to hike in prices, said Abdul Jalil Sujan, a poultry farm owner at Dhamrai upazila in Dhaka.
They were collecting DOCs at Tk 55-Tk 60 a piece now which was maximum Tk 30 per piece, he said, adding that production cost of a broiler chicken is minimum Tk 135 per kg now.
Prices of coarse and medium rice increased by Tk 2.0 per kg in a week during this peak harvesting season.
Coarse varieties like Swarna, BR-11 and different types of hybrids were sold at Tk 38-Tk 47 a kg from Tk 36-Tk45 a kg earlier.
Medium varieties like Brridhan-28, paijam, and lata etc. also witnessed a Tk 2.0 a kg hike as were retailed at Tk 48-Tk50 a kg on Monday.
Traders said rain has hampered the drying process of paddy in many districts causing hike in prices.
The existing high paddy prices are also causing surge in such rice varieties, they said.However, finer variety remained the same at Tk 55-Tk 68 a kg.
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