KARACHI, Aug 28: The arrival of trucks loaded with vegetables and fruits from Balochistan to Karachi’s wholesale market remained suspended on Monday after the killing of Jambhoori Watan Party chief Akbar Bugti in a military operation on Saturday. As a result the wholesales prices of these items in Subzi Mandi have shot up.

For the ongoing political tension and rioting the commercial activity has almost come to a stand still in Balochistan. Markets are closed and transporters are not ready to take the risk of coming on roads with their vehicles. Only those trucks, which had left before the tragic incident, arrived in Karachi on Sunday.

The Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market at Super Highway now only depends on arrival of onion and tomatoes from the Balochistan crop because the new Sindh crop of both the vegetables will hit the market in October/November.

Vice-president of the Falahi Anjuman Haji Alimuddin said that some 300-400 trucks carrying onion were waiting at Naal, Khuzdar and Wad areas to reach Karachi’s wholesale market. The wholesale price of onion in the market now ranges between Rs7.5 to Rs10 per kg depending on the quality.

Similarly, some 25-30 trucks, carrying tomatoes, used to arrive daily in Subzi Mandi but they could not arrive on Monday. As a result, the price of tomatoes shot up to Rs80 per kg in the mandi from Rs45-50 per kg ahead of tension in Balochistan.

In case the trucks arrival remained suspended for the next few days – consumers may have to pay more at the retail level as currently the wholesale market and retail markets might have some stocks of onion, which may exhaust in the next few days. However, in case of tomatoes, the prices may remain under pressure because it perishes quickly as compared to onion, he said.

Similarly, coriander (dhania) was also arriving from Balochistan due to heavy damage to Sindh crop caused by rains in the interior Sindh. Alimuddin said the price of coriander had surged to Rs200 per kg on Monday as compared to Rs100-120 per kg last week.

General secretary of the anjuman Baboo Mehfooz also said that trucks arrivals from Balochistan dropped drastically on Monday and only those vehicles arrived, which had left different areas of Balochistan and entered in the vicinity of Karachi by Sunday. However, he said that truck arrivals from Quetta market had almost suspended.

He said even the daily trading activity in Subzi Mandi remained dull on Monday owing to uncertain situation in the city caused by violence in many areas.

A vegetable dealer Haji Shahjehan said that 70 per cent of the trucks carrying vegetables and fruits could not find their way into the wholesale market on Monday. He said that the retail markets will see the impact on prices in the next few days in case arrivals of fruits and vegetables remained suspended. He added that trucks, carrying vegetables, usually arrive during the night or early morning.

He said that even the truck owners, who agreed to take risk in bringing commodities to Karachi from various areas of Balochistan area, are now demanding higher transportation charges.

Shahjehan said that Sundar Khani grapes were now being sold at Rs70 per kg as compared to Rs50 on Friday last. Gola grapes are priced at Rs40 as compared to Rs25 per kg. Similarly, a wooden crate of apples (15-20 kg) now costs Rs450 as compared to Rs300 earlier, while melon prices surge to Rs15 per kg from Rs10-12 per kg in the wholesale market.

Besides, trading activities in Jodia Bazar, a hub of all imported and local commodities, also remained laggard owing to tense situation in the city, said advisor to Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) Anis Majeed.