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KARACHI: Perturbed by a glut-like situation, traders have slowed down the import of pulses September onwards.
This is after Pakistan made record imports of 1.2 million tonnes of pulses during 2016-17. Though the record imports had resulted in substantial fall in wholesale prices, they did not prove beneficial to retail consumers.
“Our members are worried over slackness in demand from the consumers for the last few months which is resulting in piling up of stocks in the markets and godowns,” chairman Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) Anis Majeed said.
Figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed that imports of pulses plummeted to 39,032 tonnes ($35m) in October 2017 from 40,489 tonnes ($34m) in September 2017 while it was 65,061 tonnes ($51m) in August 2017 and 64,271 tonnes ($52m) in July 2017.
Mr Anis said sales outlook of pulses still appears bleak despite the start of winter season when food intake by consumers gradually picks up as against the summer.
Another main reason in slow demand of pulses is shifting of consumers towards fresh green vegetables during winter season, he added.
Transportation charges on account of ups and downs in high speed diesel (HSD) prices in the last eight months have not impacted the price of pulses. In April 2017, the price of diesel was Rs83 per litre which plunged to Rs77.40 per litre in September 2017.
From October 1 to December 1, 2017 diesel price surged by Rs6.55 per litre. The KWGA chief claimed that during the decrease and increase in diesel prices, transporters had neither cut nor raised the transportation charges. The wholesale market is hit by downward trajectory in wholesale prices due to over imports and decline in world market prices, he stressed.
The wholesale price of gram pulse now stands at Rs80 per kg as compared to Rs105-110 per kg in May 2017. Retailers have kept the price of gram pulse at Rs120 per kg for the last many months.
The wholesale price of masoor now ranges between Rs65-75 per kg which was Rs90-95 per kg in February 2017. Retailers continued charging Rs100 per kg.
Retailers are demanding moong at Rs 120 per kg while its wholesale price had plunged to Rs75 per kg which was Rs90-100 per kg in May 2017.
The wholesale price of mash declined to Rs75-80 per kg which was Rs100 per kg in July 2017 and Rs125 per kg in March 2017. Retailers in the above period continued selling mash at Rs150 per kg.
Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2017
