ISLAMABAD: A combination of bad weather and demand has led to a sharp rise in the price of green groceries, with tomatoes in particular increasing from Rs20 to Rs200 per kilogram in just one day and no relief in sight.

In more high-end markets in the capital and areas such as Commercial Market in Satellite Town, tomatoes even reached Rs240 to Rs250 on Saturday.

The closure of the weekly market on Peshawar Mor has also forced many twin cities residents to buy farm produce from retail markets.

“There was no weekly bazaar last Friday and there was no bazaar on Sunday, Tuesday or this Friday. As a result there has been no option to buy good at discounted rates,” Margalla Town resident Asmat Zehra said, referring to the sale of tomatoes for Rs200 per kg.

The Sunday weekly market will not be held today (Sunday) because of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Azadi March.

The average auction rate for tomatoes at the wholesale fruit and vegetable market in the capital was Rs1,500 per crate – around 9.5kg – on Friday night. This had increased to Rs1,600 by Saturday night. The harvest coming from Afghanistan is being sold for around Rs2,200 to Rs2,300 for a 15kg crate.

Untimely rainfall in Sindh and parts of Balochistan this October severely damaged fully grown plants, causing crop failure and a bad situation for consumers, Amir Ghafoor, a trader at the wholesale market, said.

He said the whole country is instead being supplied from Swat, which produces around 40,000 to 50,000 cartons every day.

Some traders said the situation has benefiting farmers in Swat, adding that the general public should alter their eating habits and lower the dependence on tomatoes for cooking.

“The situation is expected to improve within two weeks, when crops in Jacobabad and Dera Murad Jamali etc will be ready for supply,” Rizwan Farooq said, adding: “The heavy rainfall has also destroyed crops in Hazara and Mansehra.”

The official rate for tomatoes floated by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Saturday was Rs168 per kg, up from Rs11 per kg on Friday.

The price of onions is also very high, and most of the supply is coming from Afghanistan. The average retail price is around Rs120 to Rs140 per kg, while the official rate for weekly markets is Rs89 per kg. The weather has also affected green chillies and other vegetables.

Supplies from India used to be able to meet such shortages in Pakistan, but there has been a ban on the import of non-essential items from India since 2017.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2019