August 11, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 26, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 10: Vegetables remained in short supply on Friday as 90 per cent vendors failed to reach the Subzimandi on Superhighway because of heavy downpour and accumulated rainwater on roads.

Rains also resulted in reduced supply of vegetables from the upcountry as 200 to 250 trucks could reach the city as against 500 to 600 trucks which arrive daily in normal days.

President, Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, Haji Shahjehan, said there were less than 10 per cent buyers, and there was hardly any brisk trading in wholesale, and it was hard to quote any wholesale rate of commodities.

Retailers must have cashed in on the situation on Friday by charging higher rates as they had limited stocks in hands, he said.

Officials in various marriage halls said people, who arranged marriages and valima receptions on Thursday night, suffered heavily in terms of arrangements for meals as over 60 per cent guests failed to turn up because of persistent rains.

A hall official in North Nazimabad said only 80 people turned up at a wedding reception, of a total booking of over 300 guests. Another official in the same area said some 200 guests attended a combined wedding and valima, of the total 600 guests.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, said poultry sales fell by 15 per cent on Friday. A total of 400,000 birds are daily slaughtered in Karachi in normal days.

He said many people reduced the quantity of menu for Friday receptions.

Mohamamd Iqbal, owner of Taj Catering at Gulshan-i-Iqbal, said there was hardly one per cent cancellation of booking on Friday for dinner receptions. However, over 50 per cent people requested for reduction in the quantity of food.

MARKETS: General Secretary of Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG), Farid Qureishi, said retail business in kiryana items nosedived by 50 per cent as a majority of the people stayed away due to continuous rains.

He said only poultry and meat merchants kept their shops open and many kiryana shops remained closed.

He said wholesale markets were closed and there was no lifting of stocks by the retailers due to rains.

Chairman, Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed, said there was virtually no trading in kiryana items in the wholesale market as a majority of shops remained closed on Friday because of heavy rains.