KARACHI: Amid surging Eid-related demand, retailers have further raised veal meat prices by Rs100 per kg.

Veal beef with and without bones prices rose to Rs900-950 and Rs1,100-1,200 per kg from Rs850 and Rs1,000 depending on the area.

In the last one and a half months, retailers have increased veal meat rates by up to Rs200 per kg citing rising wholesale prices.

Surprisingly, Commi­ssioner Karachi had fixed the rate at Rs750 and Rs900 per kg but there was not a single outlet in the city selling meat at control rates during the holy month. Retailers do not even bother to put on display the official price list.

The same is the case with mutton whose price ranges between Rs1,700-1,800 per kg in various markets, showing a jump of Rs200 per kg during Ramazan. In various markets like Burns Road, mutton sells between Rs2,000-2,200 per kg. Commissioner Karachi had fixed its rate at Rs1,400 but it is not available in the entire city.

Retailers continued to blame thriving exports of meat and meat preparations for high local prices.

However, the country’s overall meat export fetched an average per tonne price of $4,378 in 9MFY23 as compared to $4,416 in the same period last fiscal year.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s overall meat and meat preparation exports soared to 69,072 tonnes ($302m) during 9MFY23 as compared to 56,397 tonnes ($249m) in the same period last fiscal year, showing a jump of 22.4pc in quantity and 21pc in value.

In chicken, retailers sold live birds and its meat at Rs430-470 and Rs700-780 per kg in Ramazan, which was Rs400-440 and Rs630-650 one day before the start of the holy month.

Official live bird and its meat rates were fixed at Rs368 and Rs570.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023