HYDERABAD: Profiteers continue to rule the roost in fruit and vegetable market and make faithful pay exorbitant prices in Ramazan without fear of action and penalties for violation of official price lists.

Enforcement of official price lists for different varieties of fruit always remains a problem as fruit sellers tend to capitalise on higher demand for fruit during the holy month and openly violate the official price list.

Wholesalers always attribute the surge to demand and supply phenomenon but their argument does not sound convincing as the prices usually are raised when there is a shortage.

This year’s Ramazan sees arrival of watermelon and muskmelon but their prices remain beyond consumers’ reach although the same were available at affordable rates until a few days before the advent of holy month.

The argument for demand and supply may apply to off-season fruits like kinnu whose prices are understandably higher as only a few consumers opt for them. Most people opt for watermelon, muskmelon (kharbooza), golarchi (a variety of muskmelon) and bananas; and their prices have remained at least Rs20 a kilo higher over the last couple of weeks when compared with pre-Ramazan rates. Watermelon was sold for Rs50-60 per kilo before Ramazan and now consumers are buying it for Rs80-90 a kilo in Ramazan while in Cantonment areas it is sold at Rs100 a kilo.

“As Ramazan began a 13-14kg carton of golarchi – an exclusive summer fruit -- was sold for Rs1,400-1,600 in the fruit market. Its price dropped to Rs1,300 and Rs1,100 over the days. Before Ramazan it was available at below Rs1,000,” remarked Asif Arain, a fruit commission agent.

Prices for this fruit remained stable before Ramazan but a steep rise has been recorded over the few two days. “Our crop is bought by Punjab’s traders which further jacks up prices,” he said.

Given its taste and nutrition value, golarchi is commonly consumed in Ramazan. Watermelon (tarbooz) is being sold for Rs70-80 per kilo while golarchi is available for Rs140-150 per kilo these days thanks to profiteering by sellers.

Golarchi was being sold for Rs90 per kg before Ramazan and a recent official price list puts its retail price at Rs110. The rate of watermelon was fixed at Rs70-80 per kilo and only inferior or second grade variety of watermelon is being sold for Rs70 a kilo though it was available for Rs50-60 before Ramazan.

Banana was being sold for Rs100-150 per dozen against its official price of Rs140 per dozen. Quality-1 apple is available at Rs400 and quality-2 at Rs150 a kilo. Likewise, sapodilla is sold for Rs200 against its pre-Ramazan price of Rs150 per kg.

The administration appears to galvanise all energies to control prices by issuing official price lists which are seen in markets regularly only in Ramazan and not during the rest of the year but the results are not so encouraging.

“A total of Rs900,000 fine has been imposed on violators of the price list in Hyderabad district since the first day of Ramazan,” said Hyderabad Deputy Comm­issioner Fuad Soomro the other day.

The DC and other administration officials including assistant commissioners and mukhtiarkars visit markets on a daily basis usually before Iftar time when customers have already been fleeced by profiteers during the course of the day.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2022