August 12, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 27, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 11: Rains during the last two days have killed an estimated 500,000 poultry birds at poultry farms in various parts of Sindh and in Karachi, thus resulting in an increase of Rs8 per kg in the price of live bird.

On Saturday, vegetable prices surged phenomenally because of thin supplies from the producing areas due to bad condition of roads.

Onion prices shot up to Rs16-18 from Rs12 per kg prior to rains on Thursday, while potato prices surged to Rs16 from Rs14 per kg. Tomato prices went up to Rs50-60 per kg depending on the quality and areas as compared with Rs30 per kg. Ginger and garlic were selling at Rs60 to 80 per kg as compared with Rs45 to 50 per kg.

A wholesaler at subzi mandi said only 150 to 200 trucks arrived on Saturday as compared with 200 to 250 on Friday and 500 to 600 trucks prior to rains. He, however, said buyers’ presence improved to 40-50 per cent on Saturday as compared with 10 to 15 per cent on Friday.

But city markets continued to face shortage of good quality vegetables despite improvement in lifting of stocks by vegetable dealers.

The wholesaler said wholesale price of onion surged to Rs12 from Rs7 to 8 per kg prior to rains. Onion was arriving from Balochistan and its export to Colombo, Malaysia, Middle East etc, was presently at standstill for the last two months.

The wholesale price of potato, arriving from Punjab’s cold storages, decreased to Rs8-9 per kg from Rs11, but retailers were seen cashing in on the situation by charging higher rates from consumers.

He said export of potato to Colombo had slowed down. Tomato wholesale prices increased to Rs35-40 per kg from Rs20-25 per kg. However, ginger and garlic rates remained unchanged at Rs30 per kg at wholesale, but retailers were bent upon making windfall profit under the garb of overall increase in other greens’ prices.

Rains and storm played havoc with prices in the last week of June. It took 15 days to resume frequent supplies of vegetables from Balochistan and other parts of Sindh and prices returned to their old levels by July 14.

The wholesaler said rain not only hampers supplies from the upcountry due to bad condition of roads, but it turns the subzi mandi into a marshland, thus restricting free movement of local traders in the market who almost make daily purchases for onward retail sales.

“The financial loss because of damage to vegetables, especially highly perishable items, is estimated at Rs25-30 million on Thursday and Friday,” he said.

In poultry, retailers are charging Rs92 per kg for live poultry birds while its meat price is Rs150-160 per kg.

Prior to rains, live bird was priced at Rs84 per kg and meat was selling at Rs130-140.

In the first week of August, poultry live bird was selling at Rs80 per kg.

The general secretary of Karachi Wholealers Poultry Association (KWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui, said some 500,000 small and big live birds died at poultry farms situated along the coastal belts of Sindh and Balochistan due to heavy rains and thunderstorm. The industry is estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs500 million.

He recalled that storm and rains in the last week of June inflicted a loss of over Rs1 billion, with the killing of 1.5 million live birds and chicks.

He claimed that recent surge in prices of birds was actually triggered by the production loss of June’s storm and rains at the poultry farms.

Convener press and publication sub-committee Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), Abdul Maroof Siddiqui, claimed that rains had destroyed farms in Mirpur Sakhro, Badin, Thatta, Gharo, Hub Chowki, thus disrupting supplies to the city.

The PPA is gathering data regarding actual number of farm destructions besides the number of mortality in live birds.

He said farmers were currently picking up rest of the birds from these farms for quick sale in the market as transportation of poultry feed to farms had suspended because of worst condition of roads.

He, however, said the current price-hike was due to heavy rains, storm and scorching heat that killed 3.0-3.2 million live birds and chicks in poultry farms in interior Sindh and in Karachi in the last week of June.

He added that poultry farms in Sindh had suffered a loss of Rs670 million.