KARACHI, Aug 1: Incessant rains have curtailed the arrival of animal-loaded trucks from upcountry, thus causing meat shortage in the markets besides resulting in price flare up of mutton and beef by Rs5-20 per kg.

Meat merchants are charging Rs170-180 per kg for mutton as compared to Rs160 per kg on July 1. Similarly, beef (bachia without bones) is being retailed at Rs120 as compared to

Rs110 per kg, while the rates of meat with bones are tagged at Rs90 as compared to Rs85 per kg.

Cow meat (without bones) are being sold at Rs120 in some posh areas while meat with bones is available at Rs90 per kg as compared to Rs85 per kg.

Vice president, Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA), Haji Salimuddin said that arrival of animals in trucks from Khanpur, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Mirpur Khas, Badin, Thar, Nawabshah and Sanghar, etc., have dropped sharply since rains, floods and thunderstorm have lashed the province from July 12. Markets are now facing acute shortage of animals and meat.

Meat prices have already been under pressure since the closure of Sindh-Rajasthan border in January 2001 owing to war jitters as the border used to cater around 40-50 per cent of meat demand through animals smuggled from India. In the last two and a half year, consumers have really braved to pay Rs30-35 per kg more to buy beef (with bones) and Rs50-60 per kg for mutton.

General Secretary, MMWA, Iqbal Qureishi said that the federal government’s decision to restrict export of live animals in July had failed to bring any desired results as no strict actions had been taken to check smuggling of live animals and meat to Afghanistan and Iran. Meat was still being exported.

Giving a rough estimate, he said around 5,000-6,000 of all types of animals were being smuggled to the neighbouring countries weekly.

Meat sellers of big markets had already displayed banners outside their shops, urging the government to impose ban on the export of meat besides taking strict measures to check smuggling to neighbouring countries.

In the last two and a half years, the local administration has been watching silently the sky-rocketing trend in meat prices. The administration has not conducted any market surveys whether the claim of meat merchant over animal shortage is really genuine or they have been artificially clamouring in order to justify price hike. The government officials have no time to sort out with meat merchants the root cause of price hike and take strict action at the borders to check smuggling of meat and live animals.

Poultry sector has also become the victim of thunderstorm and heavy rains that have completely destroyed at least 150 poultry farms in interior Sindh besides causing losses of Rs50-60 million, claims general secretary, Karachi Wholesalers Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui.

He said farms mainly in Badin, Sakhro, Gadap, Ghulam Belo, Keti Bandar, etc., have completely vanished with the rains and floods. Sindh has around 4,000-5,000 poultry farms, he added.

“Poultry farm owners are ready to sell the stocks at any rate in anticipation of rains and floods that may come again,” he said while attributing the price stability in chicken. He said that in the last 20 days, marriage functions have also slowed down. Slight decline has also come in outdoor eating by people due to rains. These factors have contributed in the slight fall in consumption of chicken. He attributed the rise in egg prices to shortage owing to heavy mortality of birds two months back on account of viral disease.

Poultry prices have come down to Rs58 per kg from Rs60 on July 1. As a result meat prices also came down to Rs98-100 from Rs105 per kg. However, egg prices rose by Rs4 per dozen to Rs30 from Rs26 per dozen.

According to a market survey (from July 1 to August 1), rains can be blamed for inflating the monthly budget of the consumers in shape of price hike of vegetables and other edible items.

Onion is now selling at Rs8 per kg as compared to Rs7 last month while tomato prices had shot upto Rs 60-80 per kg from Rs14 per kg. However, in some areas, retailers were offering average quality tomato at Rs40 per kg.

Potato prices also moved up to Rs8t per kg from Rs7 per kg while in posh areas, retailers are making windfalls by charging Rs15 per kg. Dhania (coriander) price flared upto Rs 400 per kg from Rs 20-25 per kg.

No change was seen in the price of Garlic and Ginger, selling at last month’s level of Rs30-32 and Rs40 per kg respectively.

No fluctuation in prices were witnessed in the pulses. The markets had been facing a lacklustre trend for the last three months.

Mung prices posted no change at Rs28-30 per kg as its wholesale prices remained unchanged at Rs21-24 per kg. Wholesale price of mash also held unchanged at Rs19-21 while its retail prices were hovering between Rs24-26 per kg. No change was seen in masur (whole and washed) prices at Rs30-35 per kg in view of no fluctuation in wholesale price of Rs26-28 per kg. Arhar prices remained pegged at Rs28-30 per kg as wholesale price posted no change at Rs22-25 per kg. Wholesale price of gram pulse ranged between Rs18.50-19.50 per kg, thus making no impact at retail prices of Rs25-28 per kg.

The markets saw no change in prices of various varieties of rice. The wholesale price of Irri-6 and Irri-9 was still intact at Rs11 and Rs18 per kg. Kernal Basmati Special price was tagged at Rs42 per kg at wholesale followed by Rs40 and Rs36 kg for No.1 and No.2 qualities.

No upward price movement was seen in fine atta and atta No.2.5, selling at Rs11 and Rs10-11 per kg. Sugar prices held unchanged at Rs19 per kg.