April 2, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1427

KARACHI, April 1: Consumers paid higher price for pulses, fresh milk, sugar, and beef and other edibles last month against witnessing some relief in cost of poultry, ginger, and tomato. Prices of mash and moong pulse surged to Rs67-68 and Rs62 per kg, respectively, from Rs46 and Rs48 per kg earlier this month.

Gram pulse also became dearer to Rs34 from Rs30 per kg in the retail market.

Prices of moong and mash have been on the rise owing to costlier imports from Burma where their rates are being quoted at over $700 per ton, while these pulses are in short supply from the local crop.

A random market survey conducted from March 1 to April 1, showed that majority of retailers were openly charging Rs30 a litre for fresh milk and Rs44 per kg for yogurt compared to Rs28 and Rs40 a month back.

The gram pulse rate is on the rise because of low crop prospects ranging between 350,000-400,000 tons this year as against over one million tons last year. There has been some 100,000 tons of gram pulse stocks in the market from the last year’s crop. Besides, traders had also exported around 150,000 tons of gram pulse to India, Bangladesh etc., from the last year’s crop. Consumption of gram pulse in Pakistan is estimated at 700,000 tons per annum.

On fresh milk, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has no time to spare for the last one month to take cognizance of the issue confronting the general public, despite the fact that he had strictly conveyed the message to the city government officials and stakeholders in various meetings that the price of milk would remain unchanged at Rs28 per litre.

The city government is reported to have chalked out line of action against the dairy farmers and retailers, but due to the pressing engagement of the city nazim the action is yet to be taken.

One and a half years back, the city government officials and the stakeholders had made a secret deal, allowing a free hand to the dairy farmers and retailers to enhance the price from Rs25 to Rs28 a litre.

Market sources said that same kind of deal is reported to have been struck between the officials and milkmen again this time, that’s why, no action has been taken so far against the milk sellers, dairy farmers and wholesalers for arbitrarily increasing the price.

Sources said that the milk sellers were satisfied that nothing was going to happen this time and they would continue to sale milk at higher rates.

Sugar price has again shot up to Rs38 from Rs37 per kg despite huge stocks lying with the mills and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). The government had already called off the probe against the millers who were responsible for increasing the price. Besides, some non- genuine traders of Jodia Bazar had been holding discussions with the prime minister and other top government officials for the last few months and so far their meetings had failed to bear any fruits and sugar rates continued to climb up.

Because of the increase in sugar rates, some leading producers of squashes have enhanced their rates by Rs5 to Rs10 per bottle, while producers of jam, jelly and marmalade have also enhanced the rates by Rs5 per bottle.

Meat sellers are out to make windfalls by charging Rs130 for beef (with bones) and Rs160 (without bones) as compared to Rs120 and Rs150, respectively, a month back on the rising demand of beef due to consumers’ reluctance to eat chicken in view of the bird flu scare.

The price of onion has been stable at Rs10 per kg, despite slight increasing trend in the wholesale rates, which have surged to Rs7-8 from Rs5 to Rs6, but it is yet to make any impact at retail stage.

The Sindh crop has now exhausted in the markets, while arrivals from new Balochistan crop has started on a very limited scale.

The wholesale price of potato is Rs14 a kg, while it sells at last month’s rate of Rs16 per kg at retail side. Tomato is the biggest loser selling at Rs4-5 per kg at wholesale. In retail, its price has plunged to Rs10 from Rs40 per kg last month. Currently, there have been ample supplies in the markets from the Sindh crop.

Ginger is arriving from China, Singapore and Indonesia and

it is being sold at Rs35-40 per kg at the wholesale. Frequent imports have slashed the rate at retail to Rs60 from Rs80 per kg. Garlic is also coming from China and is priced at last month’s rate of Rs70 per kg. It is available at Rs40-45 per kg at the wholesale.

President Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, Haji Shahjehan said on Saturday that setting up two new vegetable markets in the city will help in bringing stability in the rates as Super Highway market is 22 kms away from the city and retailers charge higher prices from the consumers after paying higher transportation cost. He said that the Super Highway market was the most unsuccessful project.

Lahore has four vegetable markets, followed by two in Islamabad, two in Sukkur and two in Quetta. Karachi should have at least eight wholesale vegetable markets, he said.

The lingering bird flu scare has yet to vanish from the minds of consumers, who still appear highly concerned in buying poultry products from the markets. Poultry stakeholders are confused as rates are being changed twice a week. From last month’s rate of Rs54 it has plunged to Rs50 per kg, while egg is selling at Rs18 as compared to Rs21 per dozen.