June 28, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428

KARACHI, June 27: Most varieties of vegetables on Wednesday became costlier at the retail stage with tomato taking the lead at Rs80-100 per kg, while broiler live bird’s price surged by Rs8 per kg owing to short supply from the upcountry after Saturday’s storm and incessant rains.

In absence of any government’s check on the rising prices, consumers are now taking the costly ride by paying more than double the rate for some vegetables prevailing before the storm.

The storm and heavy rains destroyed many poultry farms located in the outskirts of Karachi and the interior Sindh, leaving thousands of live broiler birds and chicks dead and thus resulting in dwindling supplies to the markets. This has forced the consumers to pay higher rates for white meat.

In vegetables, the number of trucks arriving from the upcountry has shrunk to 300-400 a day from 800-1,000 prior to storm and rains, thus creating shortage in the wholesale markets. The market on Wednesday continued to face shortage of greens arriving from the upcountry. Besides, huge quantities of green stuff have also perished.

Retailers of vegetables are now enjoying a field day by demanding phenomenal rates from the consumers, which in some varieties did not match with the increase in wholesale rates at the Sabzi Mandi.

Depending on the area, vegetable vendors are charging Rs80-100 per kg for tomatoes as compared with Rs20-25 per kg earlier. In some posh areas, retailers are demanding over Rs100 per kg. Onion and potato had become dearer by Rs2 per kg to Rs14 from Rs12 per kg.

Ginger and garlic rates rose to Rs50-60 per kg from Rs40 per kg. Lady Finger (bhindi) was being sold at Rs40 from Rs20-25 per kg. Coriander (hara dhania one bunch) rate was being quoted at Rs8-10 as compared to Rs3-4.

The price of Spinach (palak) jumped to Rs15-16 per kg from Rs10 per kg.

The price of White Gourd (loki) peaked to Rs25-30 per kg from Rs15-16 followed by increase in Bitter Gourd (karela) and Ridge Gourd (torai) to Rs30 per kg from Rs16-20.

President Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market Haji Shahjehan said that wholesale tomato prices surged to Rs1,200-1,800 per 15-18 kg crate on Wednesday depending on the quality. It was priced at Rs100-150 per wooden box before heavy rains because of improved supplies from Balochistan crop. Rains destroyed tomatoes loaded in 150-200 trucks carrying 12-14 tons each at the Sabzi Mandi, he said.

The price of onion, arriving from Balochistan and NWFP crops, climbed to Rs9-10 per kg from Rs6-7 per kg, while price of potato arriving from Punjab’s cold storages rose to Rs10 from Rs 7-8 per kg. However, he said that ginger and garlic rates had not gone up high but the retailers were charging higher prices in line with increase in other vegetable items’ prices.

He said prices were likely to remain under pressure depending on thin supplies from the upcountry on account of more rains this week. He added transporters were also demanding higher rates.

Poultry live bird was selling at Rs70 per kg as compared with Rs62 on Monday, while its meat was being retailed at Rs120-125 as compared to Rs110 per kg. In many areas retailers are fully cashing the situation by charging Rs72-74 per kg for live bird and Rs130 per kg for its meat.

A wholesaler poultry dealer said that the supply of birds from the farms to Karachi had declined by 25 per cent and many deliveries from the farms located outside the city had stranded on the way owing to continuous rains and bad road conditions.

He said the situation of birds supply might remain slow in case incessant rains continued for more days.

However, the poultry industry, which is divided into two groups, has yet to come up with the real figures of financial losses caused by Saturday’s storm.