KARACHI: City govt succumbs to meat sellers pressure
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Sept 19: The city district government has finally succumbed to the pressure by meat merchants and an increase of Rs20 per kg has been made in the price of mutton from Rs220 to Rs240 a kg.
According to a notification issued by the city government on Sept 19, mutton quality No 1 will now be available at Rs 240 a kg, quality No 2 at Rs230 and quality No 3 at Rs220.
Quality number three has been introduced recently to give an impression that prices are still unchanged, said a source.
The rate of beef (with bones) has been fixed at Rs110 per kg as compared to Rs120 a kg last week, while beef without bones has been enhanced from Rs130 per kg to Rs140.
Calf quality No 1 meat will be sold at Rs140 as compared to last week’s price of Rs 135 per kg. Calf meat (quality No 2) will be available for Rs135 a kg. Its price was not fixed last week.
At present, mutton is being sold between Rs250 and 260 a kg in almost all the areas, and retailers claim it was high quality meat.
“It is hard for the consumers to differentiate between the three qualities of mutton and the two qualities of beef and calf as meat-sellers know the technique how to sell a low quality meat on higher prices,” remarked a buyer.
The city government had claimed last week that they would initiate strict action against those selling commodities at higher rates, and the proposed action included six month’s imprisonment and Rs15,000 fine for overcharging in meat rates.
But now it seems that some kind of deal had been struck, exposing the tall claims made earlier.
No change has been made in the price of milk which is available for Rs28 a litre in retail and Rs26 a litre in wholesale. The dairy farmers, sources said, may revise rate after Ramazan.
In pulses, the city government has made some changes by bringing down the retail prices by Re 1 to Rs two per kg from the earlier prices last week. No changes have been made in the wholesale rates.
For example, the retail rate of dal channa VIP No 1 and No 2 has been fixed at Rs40, Rs40 and Rs38 as compared to last week’s Rs42, Rs42 and Rs40 per kg.
Kabli Channa No 1 and No 2 retail has been revised to Rs57 and Rs42 per kg as compared to previous rate of Rs58 and Rs44 per kg.
The rate of Kala Channa No 1 and No 2 in wholesale has been changed to Rs38 and Rs34 per kg as compared to 40 and Rs36 per kg.
No change has been made in channa, Basin No 1 and No 2 which will be sold at its previous rate of Rs42 and Rs40 per kg.
Mash washed No 1 and No 2 will be sold at Rs58 and Rs54 per kg as compared to Rs60 and Rs56 per kg. Mash whole black and mash whole will be available at Rs50 per kg each as compared to Rs52 per kg.
Moong washed No 1 and No 2 will be available for Rs58 and Rs54 a kg as compared to Rs60 and Rs56 per kg.
Moong split and whole would be sold at Rs50 per kg each as compared to previous rate of Rs52 per kg.
The new prices of Arhar No 1 and No 2 Rs42 and Rs 38 per kg as compared to Rs44 and Rs40 per kg.
Masoor No 1 and No 2 will be available for Rs34 and Rs30 a kg as compared to Rs36 and Rs32 per kg.
In spices, it seems that the city government has succumbed to the pressure of dealers as rates have been increased in both wholesale and retail.
For instance, the price of red chillies has been increased from Rs 60 and 70 a kg to Rs 70 and Rs 80 per kg, respectively. Red chillies powder wholesale and retail prices have been revised upward to Rs80 and Rs90 a kg from last week’s Rs 75 and Rs 85 per kg.
No changes have been made in the rice and nimko rates as compared to previous prices fixed last week.
EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion Syed Abid Ali Shah defended the upward revision in meat rates by saying that the meat merchants demand was justified.
When mutton is being sold at Rs260 and Rs250 per kg in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, how it can be sold at a low rate here, he added.
“We have revised meat prices to avert any possible protest by the merchants in the holy month,” he said claiming the prices of essential items have been fixed in a very transparent manner through dialogues and discussions with stakeholders.
He claimed that retailers are happy with the revision in rates as they have voluntarily offered discount of Re 1 to Rs two per kg on pulses.
Advisor to Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed said the association members will meet the EDO E&IP on Wednesday to discuss on the wholesale rates of pulses and rice in view of new notification issued on Sept 19.
