Chandpur’s winter vegetable harvest modestly eases prices

Winter vegetables at a Chandpur kitchen market on Saturday 29 November 2025.

By Delwar Hossain. Chandpur, Nov 30 - As winter sets in, consumers in Chandpur are finding a welcome relief in kitchen markets, as the prices of winter vegetables see a modest decline, particularly benefiting low-income groups.

Vendors in the coastal district say this year’s price correction is a departure from previous trends, attributing the stability to the absence of syndicates that traditionally caused sudden spikes.

“If this situation continues, it could provide lasting relief for consumers,” a local vendor told UNB.

Agriculturists echoed this observation, noting that last year, potato prices had surged to Tk 80 per kilogram, while high-quality potatoes are now available at Tk 22–25 per kilogram.

Other vegetables have also become more affordable: papaya is selling at Tk 25–30 per kilogram, and lower-quality potatoes are offered at six to seven kilograms for Tk 100 in van markets across neighbourhoods.

Similar pricing patterns are evident in the district town’s roadside markets, including Wireless, Baburhat, Bohoria, Mahamaya, Bakila, and Munshirhat in Matlab.

Over the past fortnight, fresh winter vegetables such as bottle gourd, ridge gourd, black eggplant, pointed gourd, chichinga, okra, and cucumber have seen price reductions of Tk 10–15 per kilogram, now retailing at Tk 45–50 per kilogram.

Other staples include radish at Tk 40 per kilogram, fresh cauliflower at Tk 35–40 per piece, and smaller cabbages at Tk 40 each. Bitter gourd remains relatively expensive at Tk 80–90 per kilogram, green chilli is Tk 80, coriander leaves Tk 30–40, medium-sized bottle gourd Tk 40, and carrots Tk 120 per kilogram.

Local tomatoes sell for Tk 100–120 per kilogram, taro at Tk 40–50, and leafy vegetables such as red amaranth, pumpkin, kolmi, pointed gourd, and radish are priced between Tk 20–30 per kilogram. Onion prices have fallen to Tk 50 per kilogram.

Traders in the city’s busiest market, Biponibag, including Juel Mia, Jahangir Khan, Iqbal Bepari, and Abul Kalam Bepari, expect prices to fall further in the coming days.

Observations across other prominent district markets, such as Palbazar, New Market, Puranbazar, Wireless Market, and Biponibag, confirm this trend.

Vegetable vendors selling directly from vans are offering produce at Tk 5–10 lower per kilogram than retail shops, attracting crowds of low-income buyers, especially in the evenings.

Each morning, large quantities of fresh vegetables arrive via trawlers from remote char areas in Matlab Uttar, Chandpur Sadar, and Haimchar, including Raj Rajeshwar, Char Ibrahim, Harina, Char Kashim, Kanudi and Bishnupur.

Despite the ample supply, the lack of government regulation in retail markets keeps prices higher than production costs. Mohammad Mobarak Hossain, an agricultural officer at the Department of Agricultural Extension in Chandpur, told UNB that authorities have no power to control market prices.

He said winter vegetable cultivation targets cover 6,100 hectares, aiming for a total production of 134,200 metric tons. Vegetables are grown across nearly 12,000 hectares along riverbanks and chars, with additional supply coming from neighbouring districts.

“There is no shortage of winter vegetables,” he emphasised.

The current price trend provides a glimmer of hope for consumers, signalling a more stable market for winter staples this season. - UNB