Staff Correspondent

Price of beef has skyrocketed in the capital just before the advent of Shab-e-Barat, and Ramadan.

Lack of proper market monitoring measures, not fixing the price by authorities concerned and supply crunch are the main causes for the recent hike in beef price, said market insiders.

On Friday, prices of broiler chicken and vegetables dropped by around Tk10 to Tk30 per kg in the capital’s kitchen markets when compared to a week ago.

On the weekly holiday, two days ahead of Shab-e-Barat and about two weeks ahead of the month of fasting for Muslims, beef sold at around Tk780 to Tk800 per kg at kitchen markets in the Mirpur, Shewrapara, Mohammadpur, and Rayerbazar areas in Dhaka.

Some butchers sold special quality beef with less bone and fat at Tk850 per kg in Mohammadpur.

Md Habib, owner of Dhaka Gosto Bitan at Mirpur-6, told the Daily Sun that they were selling normal quality beef at Tk750 and special quality at Tk800 per kg.

However, while visiting his shop on Friday morning our correspondent found that he sold only one type of beef at Tk800 per kg while other butcher shops in the kitchen market, including Sabuz Gosto Bitan, were selling it at Tk780 per kg.

Golam Murtaza, president of Bangladesh Meat Traders Association, said the beef price increased because the price of cows has increased at cattle shops.

“Cattle farmers and dealers were waiting for Shab-e-Barat, Ramadan and Eid-ul-Ajha to bag higher profits. They have raised their cattle to sell those during this period at higher prices. The price of a cow weighing around 100 kg has increased by Tk10,000 in a month,” he said.

Traders have been selling beef at Tk700-750 per kg since the last week of January while they sold it at Tk700 in the first week of January 2024.

A few butchers started selling beef at a reduced price of Tk550-600 per kg in the capital during November and December last year, attracting the attention of other sellers and forcing them to sell it at a reduced price by breaking all syndicates.

However, meat traders at a meeting between the Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association (BDFA) and Bangladesh Meat Traders Association (BMTA) on 6 December 2023 decided to sell beef at Tk650 per kg in all areas across Bangladesh, including the capital, till the national election.

“They also decided that the meat prices will be adjusted again after the election,” said Golam Murtaza, president of Bangladesh Meat Traders Association.

The meat traders have conducted several meetings after that and decided to keep no cap on beef price, he said, adding, “Many traders have complained that they faced losses for selling beef at a fixed price. For this reason, in the last meeting in January we decided that traders can sell beef at an open price.”

Since then the price of beef has been increasing indiscriminately in the capital.

Consumer Association of Bangladesh Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain said that the high profit-gaining tendency of traders is responsible for the skyrocketing price of beef in the country.

“The butchers are increasing the price of beef as they wish, because there is no regulatory authority to monitor the price and take action against the price hike. The consumers have to suffer due to the price hike,” he said.

The price of beef was Tk650-700 per kg a week ahead of Ramadan on 24 March 2022.

Price of one kilogram of beef was Tk80 in 2001, Tk100 in 2004, Tk104 in 2005, Tk140 in 2006, Tk176 in 2007, Tk192 in 2008, Tk218 in 2009, Tk247 in 2010, Tk250-275 in 2013, Tk280 in 2014, Tk300 in 2015, Tk400 in 2016, Tk475 in 2017, Tk500 in 2018, Tk550 in 2019, Tk600 in 2020, Tk700 in 2021, and 2022 and Tk800 in 2023, according to sources.

Broiler price drops to Tk190 per kg Price of broiler has declined to Tk190-200 per kg from Tk220, and Sonali chicken declined to Tk300 per kg from Tk320 over the past week.

Meanwhile, the price of vegetables decreased by around Tk10 per kg on Friday compared to the previous week.

Bean sold at Tk50-60 per kg, radish at Tk40 per kg, brinjal at Tk60-80 per kg, papaya at Tk50 per kg, tomato, carrot and cucumber at Tk50 per kg, yardlong bean at Tk100 per kg, bottle gourd at Tk80 per piece, and cauliflower and cabbage at Tk40 per piece.

Onion sold at the previous high price of Tk120-130 per kg, local garlic at Tk160 per kg, imported garlic at Tk240 per kg, potato at Tk30 per kg and ginger at Tk260 per kg on that day.