Small traders in Kushtia battle to fight off price hike burden

Selim, an onion vendor in Kushtia, nostalgically recollects times when he would sell 8-10 bags of onions every morning.

Now, however, have whittled this number down to a mere 4-5 bags. 

"There is a stark difference between then and now," says Selim, reflecting on how he manages to sell just enough to get by. 

It's not that people prefer less onions. It's the price that has really changed the market.

Today, per kg of onion costs Tk75, selling at a rate of Tk6,000 for an 80-kilogram sack, while few months back, per kg of onion would cost Tk62-64 at wholesale.

Amid price hikes, the once-thriving business landscape of Kushtia is witnessing small-scale traders grappling with their survival.

Bablu Molla, a wholesale trader in Babli Bhander, who sells potatoes sourced from various districts in Kushtia, says retailers are only buying exactly what they are being able to sell in the retail market, hoping for a price drop following government directives.

With a touch of resentment in his tone, he said "The rising cost of rent and employee wages makes it extremely challenging for us to sustain in the current market. Each kg of potato is being sold at a wholesale price of Tk38-40, while earlier per kg would sell for less than Tk30.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen market, the retailers of fresh produce like potatoes, onions, and chilis all express similar anxieties as prices have drastically risen. 

The skyrocketing prices have led to decreased sales in the retail market, and preserving the existence of their businesses while managing their household expenditure has become an uphill battle, they feel.

"Small businesses create a strong economic foundation within the country's community. If we lose these small businesses, our identity will significantly change, and it will take a long time to recover," said Joint Secretary of the Traders Owner Committee M Z Islam Jahid. 

"So, in these challenging times, if we can compete, these small business establishments, upon which the country's significant interests depend, can endure and thrive, safeguarding our vast national interests and the collective economy."

Earlier, though the commerce ministry applied stringent measures to regulate the prices of staple items such as potatoes, onions, and eggs, shopkeepers across the country were flouting the government-fixed rates, sparking outrage among consumers.

The ministry announced price caps for potatoes at Tk35-36 per kg, local onions at Tk64-65 per kg, and eggs at Tk12 per piece. 

Reports of price violations were not limited to Dhaka alone. TBS correspondents from Cumilla, Savar, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Bogura, Kushtia, and Chattogram regions confirmed that onions, potatoes, and eggs were selling above the government-set prices, reported on 15 September.