August 05, 2008	Tuesday	Sha'aban 2, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 4: The retail price of vegetables hit a new peak on Monday as a result of arrival of fewer than usual trucks at the wholesale market on the Super Highway from upcountry after the recent rains in Karachi and other parts of the country.

A vegetable dealer in the New Sabzi Mandi on the Super Highway said that there had been a drop of 30 per cent in the arrival of trucks from upcountry at the wholesale market after the rains in Karachi. As a result, he said, the prices of vegetables at the wholesale level had surged by 10 to 30 per cent. Around 800 to 1,000 trucks carrying vegetables used to arrive at the wholesale market on normal days. Besides, huge quantities of green stuff have also perished.

The wholesale rate of tomato is Rs30 per kilogram, shimla mirch (capsicum), Rs35 per kg; carrot, Rs35 per kg; brinjal, Rs8 per kg; bitter gourd, Rs12 per kg; green chilli, Rs10 per kg; lemon, Rs45 per kg, and coriander and mint at Rs2 per bunch. Ladyfinger is available at Rs30 per kg in the wholesale market.

The increase in wholesale rates has not been so intense but the retailers and push-cart owners have enjoyed a field day in pulling out maximum from the already inflation-hit consumers.

For example, at the retail stage, cauliflower is sold at Rs70 per kg as compared to Rs35 per kg and lemon sells at Rs70 per kg as compared to Rs55 per kg ahead of the rains.

Similarly, bitter gourd is selling at Rs40 per kg as against the pre-rain price of Rs20 per kg. Okra sells at Rs40 per kg as compared to Rs20-25 per kg earlier.

Capsicum is available at Rs80 per kg as compared to Rs50-60 per kg while carrot price is Rs60 as compared to Rs30-35 per kg.

Ginger is available at Rs120 per kg as compared to Rs100 per kg while cabbage is priced at Rs45-50 as compared to Rs25-30 per kg.

The price of brinjal, or eggplant, has surged to Rs20-30 from Rs12-15 per kg. Tomato price has hit Rs50-60 per kg from Rs40 per kg. Retailers are charging Rs5-10 per bunch of coriander and mint respectively.

The authorities, instead of checking the meteoric price rise, have left the consumers at the mercy of retailers, who enjoy a free hand in fleecing them.

Vegetable dealers said that much depended on the rains in the coming days and in case of more rains the price of greens might go higher as the transport of goods from the producing areas to the city’s wholesale market got suspended in the rains.

However, they said there had been enough supply of vegetables from the producing areas but rains created shortages in the markets.

Milk prices

Consumers have received another pre-Ramazan shock as milk-sellers in various areas have increased the rate of fresh milk by Rs4 per litre.

Until now, consumers were paying Rs40 per litre in most areas while milk was also selling at Rs42 per litre in some areas.

President of the All Karachi Milk Retailers Welfare Association Hafiz Nisar Gaddi claimed that only five to 10 per cent retailers in the city were charging Rs44 per litre.

Pointing out that wholesalers and dairy farmers had increased the wholesale price of milk from Rs36 to Rs40 per litre on Aug 1, he argued that retailers had no option but to raise the retail rate. He, however, stated that the association would wait for a reduction at the wholesale level for four more days before deciding to increase the retail milk rate to Rs44 per litre.

He pointed out that the fresh increase by dairy farmers was the third this year. In February, they had raised the rate by Rs2.15 per litre and again in April by Rs3.75 per litre.

He said that dairy farmers were attributing the increases to the repeated hike in oil prices as this ultimately increases cost of transportation of milk and buffalo, besides that of fodder.

He alleged that the city government had been reluctant to restrain dairy farmers/wholesalers from raising the prices arbitrarily. Instead, he regretted, the city government always took action against retailers. “About 15-20 retailers are being picked up every day on the charge of overcharging,” he said.