Prices of rice, sugar and fish are yet to cool off intensifying woes of common consumers despite various steps taken by the government last week.

Prices of flour, egg and other essentials also remained high while vegetable, chicken and onion price declined last week, according sources of different kitchen markets.

Retailers said there is enough raw sugar stock at mills but the quantity of refined sugar is inadequate. Despite government’s direction mill owners failed to increase supply and the prices also did not drop in the wholesale market, they added.

Besides, the price of rice yet to decline despite the government has approved increasing volume of rice imports.

All types of rice were sold at high price on Friday compared to the last year. When hilsa fishing was banned, the price of other fishes increased, said traders, adding that, now hilsa fishing has resumed but prices of other fishes haven’t decreased.

Fine rice price maintained previous high rate of Tk75-80 per kg while medium rice price also remained static and was retailed at Tk58-65 a kg.

Coarse rice was sold at Tk 52-56 per kg at city’s retail markets last week while the government has fixed Aman rice price at Tk42 as a mill rate.

According to rice mill owners, Aman rice season has already begun and the government is set to procure eight lakh tonnes of paddy and boiled rice from farmers and mill owners in Aman season this year.

Md Mohsin, a rice trader of Rampura kitchen market, said every year rice price slightly falls with the beginning of Aman season but this year price of rice has not decreased. “We don’t know when rice price will drop,” he added.

According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), rice price remained static at Tk 48-75 per kg last month while the current price is above 5-13 per cent higher compared to last year.

Loose white and brown sugar was sold at Tk 110-115 per kg at city’s kitchen markets on Friday due low supply as well as high mill rate which was Tk90 per kg two weeks ago.

However, the government fixed the price of loose white sugar at Tk90 kg last month.

According to Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, currently country’s raw sugar stock is more than 3,75,000 tonnes at mills which is enough for more than four month’s supply.

Meanwhile, prices of all kinds of fishes have remained static. Prices of cultured fishes witnessed Tk 20-30 per kg hike and indigenous fishes hiked Tk40-100 per kg in mid-October.

Mediam size (850-950gm) hilsha fish was sold at Tk 1000 per kg at city’s fish markets while big size (1050-1500 gm) hilsa were sold at Tk 1200-1500 per kg. Ruhi, katla fish was available at Tk 300-320 per kg, pangash at Tk 180-200 per kg, talepia at Tk 200-230 per kg on Friday.

Loose soybean oil was sold at much higher rate than the government-fixed rate. One litre of soybean oil was sold at Tk 160-170 in markets while the government fixed Tk 158 per litre.

Prices of flour, egg and other essentials items remained static. Six pairs of farm egg was sold at Tk 145-150, duck egg at Tk 170-180 on Friday, according to kitchen market sources.

Onion price decreased by Tk 5-10 per kg ahead of new session, sold at Tk 35-45 per kg while new onion with leaves was sold at Tk 50-60 per kg. Meanwhile broiler chicken was available at Tk 170 per kg while it was sold at Tk 180 per kg a week ago.

Prices of most of the vegetables declined by Tk 5-10 per kg and were retailed at Tk 50-80 per kg.