KARACHI: Cut in lentil prices delays price list for Ramazan
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Nov 15: The Enterprise and Investment Department (EID) for City Government and wholesalers have made changes in the prices of lentils which were approved at the previous meeting held two days ago.
A meeting of the EID and the chairman of the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Group (KWGG) on Thursday decided to change the already approved rates to cut wholesale prices of lentils, gram and gram-based products by Rs one to Rs2 a kg.
The meeting did not change the prices of all varieties of rice and some other lentils such as masur as approved in the previous list.
These changes have caused delay in the issuance of price list for Ramazan, expected to begin from Saturday.
The chairman of the KWGG, Anis Majeed, told Dawn that the new price list would be printed by Friday and it would be handed over to retailers and wholesalers either on Friday evening or Saturday morning for display at their shops.
The wholesale price of besun No 1 quality has been brought to Rs34 a kg from Rs35 a kg, but it will still be higher as compared with previous Ramazan’s Rs28 a kg. Despite a cut of Rs one a kg to Rs27 from Rs28 a kg, the No 2 quality of besun will be available at Rs25 a kg as in the previous Ramazan.
The prices of gram lentil No 1 and No 2 quality have been refixed at Rs33 and Rs32 a kg as compared with last approved price list of Rs34 and Rs33 a kg. In the previous Ramazan, the wholesale prices of these two qualities were Rs28.50 and Rs27 a kg.
The new wholesale price of white gram (kabuli channa VIP quality) is Rs48 a kg as compared with Rs50 a kg. The No 1 and No 2 quality prices have been refixed at Rs38 and Rs34 a kg from the last approved list of Rs40 and Rs35 a kg. In the previous Ramazan, its No 1 and No 2 quality were available at Rs46 and Rs36 a kg in the wholesale market.
Black gram (kala channa) No 1 and No 2 prices have been refixed at Rs33 and Rs31 a kg from Rs34 and Rs32 a kg. In the previous Ramazan, its wholesale prices were Rs26 and Rs24 a kg.
The wholesale price of arhar No 1 No 2 quality is Rs33 and Rs27 a kg as compared with the previous approved price list of Rs34 and Rs28 a kg. These two qualities were selling at Rs36 and Rs34 a kg, respectively, in the previous Ramazan. Masur No 1 and No 2 quality will be available at Rs29 and Rs28 a kg from Rs30 and Rs29 a kg.
The prices of all varieties of rice have been kept same as approved in the previous list.
Besides, the Pakistan Kiryana Merchants Association (PKMA) has also issued a new price list of various spices, showing a price rise as compared with the previous Ramazan. The new wholesale rates for the wholesale market of Jodia Bazar had been fixed at a meeting held on Nov 10 between the PKMA, EID and Bureau of Supply Prices.
The President of the PKMA, Jaffer Kudia, said cloves would be available at Rs680-700 a kg as compared with Rs380 a kg in the Ramazan. He said prices were high due to crop failure in Tanzania and Madagascar from where the commodity was being procured.
Black pepper prices have been fixed at Rs180-Rs200 a kg from Rs330 a kg due to lower rates in the global market. Cassia price is same at Rs115 a kg. Big cardamom black price, arriving from Nepal and Bhutan, has been fixed at Rs420-Rs430 a kg as compared with Rs480 a kg.
Mr Jaffer said the price of green cardamom had been fixed on the higher side at Rs1,200 a kg from Rs1,100 a kg due to slight higher prices in Guatemala. Cummin seed price from the local crop has been fixed at Rs210 a kg as compared with Rs230 a kg. Red chilly whole and powder prices (form local crop) has been fixed at Rs90 and Rs95 a kg as compared with Rs38 and Rs46 a kg.
Coriander price (whole and powder) has been fixed at Rs42 and Rs45 a kg as compared with Rs27 and Rs36 a kg. Turmeric whole and powder prices have been fixed at Rs40 and Rs50 a kg from Rs35 and Rs46 a kg in the previous Ramazan.
Farooq Azam Khawaja, former chairman of the Pakistan Tea Association, said the world tea prices had fallen by more than 25 per cent and the Pakistani rupee had gained strength against the dollar but the branded tea producers had not passed on the benefit to the consumers.
The government should set up a monitoring cell to conduct an inquiry against the branded producers who were minting money instead of providing relief to the consumers.
