KARACHI: The wholesale prices of vegetables and fruits have gone up by 20 to 25 per cent while retailers are demanding more than double the wholesale rates for many items ahead of Ramazan.

Buying activities at the wholesale market along the Superhighway as well as in the retail markets have improved a lot due to increasing rush of buyers ahead of the fasting month following ease in the lockdown.

While already making heaps of profits from the customers ahead of Ramazan, fruit retailers are now keen to cash in on the soaring demand for fruits during the month when buyers become fully charged two to three hours before Iftar to take fruits home at whatever price is demanded.

Commissioner and DCs are not available to play their role in price control

The role of Commissioner of Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani, deputy commissioners and other officials, which had always remained unproductive in controlling profiteering and protecting consumers’ interests, has further shrunk due to their more pressing engagements with the Sindh government in formulating standard operating procedures for opening trade and industry.

Consumers have been left alone to bargain with the greedy retailers of vegetables and fruits, who are not ready to lower prices.

Consumers are paying Rs40-50 per kg for onion, Rs40 for potato and Rs20-30 per kg for tomato, but at the wholesale markets, these items are priced at Rs38-40, Rs32-35 and Rs10-14 per kg, respectively.

Bottle gourd (lokki), turrai (ridge gourd) and tinda (apple gourd) sell at Rs50, Rs60 and Rs100-120 per kg, respectively, in retail markets while their wholesale rates are Rs18-20, Rs25-30 and Rs48-52 per kg.

Okra sells at Rs100-120 while its wholesale rate is Rs50-52 per kg while cucumber, cabbage and cauliflower are being sold at Rs50-60 per kg as against their wholesale rates of Rs16-18, Rs18-20 and Rs15-17 per kg, respectively.

The wholesale price of bitter gourd (karela), capsicum and peas is Rs40-50, Rs40-45 and Rs60-65 per kg, respectively, while retailers are demanding Rs80-100, Rs100-120 and Rs100-160 per kg depending on the quality. Carrot is sold at Rs80 per kg as against its wholesale rate of Rs35-38 per kg.

Vice Chairman of the Market Committee Karachi Division Asif Ahmed said the arrival of customers in the wholesale market had risen by 15-20 per cent in the last one week following the ease in lockdown. As a result, the wholesale prices of vegetables and fruits have gone up by 20-25pc due to the rising demand.

“As Ramazan draws near, a number of people have started selling vegetables and fruits on roadsides to make windfalls,” he said, urging the price regulator to check the fleecing of consumers by retailers and pushcart owners.

Banana’s retail price hovers between Rs60 and Rs80 per dozen depending on its size and quality while its wholesale price is Rs50 per dozen. Another higher quality is available at Rs100-120 which is sold at Rs150 per dozen.

Muskmelon’s rate ranges from Rs50 to Rs70 per kg versus its wholesale rate of Rs25-40.

Watermelon is available at Rs40-50 per kg as against Rs25-30 in the wholesale market.

The wholesale rates of golden red apple and kullo apple are Rs120-130 and Rs 80-90 per kg, respectively, while retailers push the customers to pay Rs160-200 and Rs120-150 per kg.

Due to the ineffective price checking mechanism, all the current prices of vegetables and fruits would further swell leaving the consumers at the mercy of the market players.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2020