ISLAMABAD: After remaining at Rs60 per kg during the previous week, prices of tomatoes have already jacked up to Rs90 per kg in various retail markets. However, the worst is yet to come, as the prices are expected to reach Rs140 per kg in the coming days.

The retailers in most of the markets of the twin cities not only replenished their stocks for the coming days, but also forewarned of the increase in prices as the wholesale markets would close during the whole week.

The price hike is not limited to tomatoes only; the price of muskmelon has increased by around Rs25 per kg, whereas bitter gourds are being sold for Rs60 per kg.

“The impact on increase in tomato prices skews the kitchen budget the most, as they are the most sought after farm product in our society,” said Azra, a housewife from Satellite Town Rawalpindi.

“Tomatoes are not only consumed in raw form, in traditional dishes like channa chat etc, but are also an integral part of making curries too.”

However, like most other businesses in the country, the retailers consider themselves at a loss and blame the suppliers for making undue profits.

The retailers and the wholesalers blame each other for the dramatic increase in prices

“We are forced to buy fresh vegetables at higher prices, since all the vegetables are perishable items,” said Rehmat Khan, a vegetable seller from Satellite Town, “The current monsoon season dampens all the vegetables very fast and makes them too soft to be sold.”

While another retailer said that tomatoes were already in short supply, even in the wholesale markets, ahead of Eid holidays.

“The wholesale market is already on fire and there is a severe shortage of tomatoes – the prices will obviously go up,” said Mohammad Faisal, a retailer in Islamabad’s G-7 sector.

Many retailers have even started preparing their customers of the imminent increase in tomato prices by warning them that the rates could go as high as Rs150 per kg for tomatoes after Eid. The wholesale market will be closed, they say, adding that there will be no supply because the truckers are on leave too.

Tomatoes have reached Rs100 per kg in the upscale markets of the twin cities, such as Commercial Market in Rawalpindi, Super Market and Aabpara in Islamabad by Monday evening.

“This is a demand and supply mechanism – we were selling tomatoes at Rs120 per kg two days ago, now it has declined to Rs100 due to higher supplies,” said Nasir Abbasi, a retailer in Super Market, Islamabad. “The coming days will push the prices higher.”

The retailers maintain that they are only the tail-end receivers and consider themselves as the aggrieved party “as all the price manipulations are made by the wholesalers,” who in-turn blamed the retailers for making exorbitant profits.

“They should fear the law and even the Almighty – there has to be a limit to the profit margins,” said Rizwan Farooq, a wholesaler at the fruits and vegetables market in I-11 sector. “There is no shortage of supply and we are receiving excellent tomatoes from Mansehra, Wana and Quetta.”

Incidentally, the price of a 10 kilogramme crate of Mansehra’s crop was sold at Rs320 and Quetta’s produce in 15kg crate was less than Rs900, which shows that the per kg rate at the wholesale market was between Rs40 and Rs60.

Apart from the wholesale markets, there will be no weekly bazaars this week. Resultantly, the only option for the buyers to get fruits and vegetables are the retailers, who see their hay-days ahead.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014