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Baby food prices spike in a week

SHARIFUL ISLAM
The prices of baby food and milks have marked a steep rise over the last one week in different city markets making the purchase difficult for the consumers.
The price of milk has risen by Tk 10 to Tk 23 for a tin weighing 350-gram to 450-gram.
"I earn Tk 2,000 a month and four 400-gram tin of Lactogen-1 [a milk brand] for six-year-old boy already cost me half of my salary. Further price increase would mean a huge burden for me," said Habib, owner of a small makeshift cloth shop on footpath.
A 450-gram-tin of Baby Care, which now sells at Tk 270, sold Tk 255 on Tuesday and Tk 250 two months back in the retail markets.
A 450-gram tin of Humana, another brand of baby food, was selling at Tk 275 yesterday while price of the same product was Tk 250 a week ago in a market at Mirpur Section 10.
The price of 450-gram tin of Biomil rose from Tk 250 to Tk 265, Enfamil from Tk 260 to Tk 275 while a 350-gram tin of Sweet Baby from Tk 255 to Tk 265.
A 400-gram Lactogen sold at Tk 225 yesterday in the city markets. It was Tk 210 a week ago.
Price of 350-gram carton of Nido, baby food manufactured by Nestlé Bangladesh Limited, was Tk 150 in the retail market. Nestle officials, however, said they did not yet increase the price which was fixed at Tk 140.
Besides, prices of cereals of different brands have increased by Tk 10 for a 350-gram carton.
The price of one-kilogram Diploma condensed milk rose to Tk 145 from Tk 122. One-kg tin of Dano sold at Tk 288 yesterday while two months ago, it was Tk 260, a shopkeeper at Kawran Bazar market said.
Commerce Secretary Siddiqur Rahman Choudhury told The Daily Star that they are monitoring the hike in prices of milk and other baby foods. "The supply of those products is adequate, and there is no special reason for the price hike," he added.
He, however, said, "The prices might have increased possibly due to rise in the transportation cost or for dollar price,"
He said they will soon hold a meeting with the concerned businessmen to discuss the issue.
The commerce secretary said prices of potato, onion, spices remain relatively lower compared with those in the same period of last year. But the prices of rice, pulse, milk powder, fish and meat appear to be on rise, he observed.
"Sharp devaluation of Taka against US dollar, and increase in other costs and related impact on basic and supplementary duties are the reasons for such rise," said M Zulfiquar Hussain, human resources and corporate affairs director of Nestlé Bangladesh yesterday.