SAHIWAL: Not a single vegetable or kitchen item is being sold according to the official price list issued by the secretary of the district market committee, which has failed to control the prices.

During a visit to Khokka Bazaar, this correspondent met several consumers who complained of price hikes ranging from Rs100 to Rs200 on each item compared to the rates listed in the daily price bulletin published on Oct 12, 2025. Vegetable sellers and shopkeepers confirmed that they had received written price notifications from the official contractor of the district market committee but claimed that the commission agents and vegetable suppliers were not providing vegetables at those listed rates.

“If tomatoes are being auctioned at Rs320 to Rs340 per kg during the morning ‘Boli’, how can we sell them to consumers at Rs135 to Rs155 as per the official list? The price magistrate and market committee fined us but none captures the District Vegetable Association and big suppliers who determine rate on demand and supply chain and sometimes artificially disturbing supply chain just to get more profit,” a shopkeeper said while talking to Dawn.

This question remained unanswered—not only by consumers but also by market committee officials, price magistrates and even the district administration.

The official rate list, a copy of which is available withDawn, includes prices for items such as onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, green chili, carrot, radish, lemon, cucumber, yam, cabbage, lady finger, bottle gourd, brinjal, cauliflower, mint, spinach, green coriander, potato, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, capsicum, Shimla mirch and pumpkin. However, the actual market rates for these vegetables are significantly higher, with some items being sold at double or even triple the listed prices. For example, onions are listed Rs73 but sold at Rs120, tomatoes listed at Rs155 are being sold at Rs400, garlic at Rs600 instead of Rs275, ginger at Rs800 instead of Rs615, lemon Rs250 instead of Rs68, cucumber at Rs130 instead Rs73, Yum at Rs280 instead of Rs88, cabbage at Rs220 instead at Rs125, lady finger at Rs180 instead of Rs115, bottle gourd at Rs160 instead of Rs145, brinjal at Rs140 instead of Rs33, cauliflower at Rs150 instead of Rs98, mint at Rs50 (Per Gutti) instead of Rs28, spinach Rs60 instead of Rs28, green coriander at Rs180 instead of Rs155, potato at Rs120 instead of Rs48 and bitter gourd at Rs220 instead of Rs125 in vegetable market.

Even none of any other items like pumpkin and radish are sold at official rates. Several structural issues contribute to this failure in price enforcement. Firstly, the state apparatus—including the district market committee and contingent of price magistrates—lacks the authority to determine vegetable prices, which are governed by supply and demand dynamics and are fully controlled by commission agents, importers and big stockists.

A source close to the situation toldDawnwith anonymity that these dynamics are controlled not by government officials but by private commission agents and ‘seths’ who either import vegetables or hoard local produce. Only a few items such as green coriander, cauliflower and cucumber are sourced locally and they are available at cheap price.

In Sahiwal, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the vegetable market operates on privately owned land, restricting open access for growers to sell their produce openly in the market. All produce must pass through commission agents who also manage the affairs of the District Vegetable Association by themselves.

It is not surprising that the biggest supplier to the vegetable market and President of District Vegetable Association comes from the same family running affairs for the last four decades.

Tariq Bashir, president, and Saeed Ahmed, general secretary of the District Vegetable Association, toldDawnthat prices were determined based on the supply received from abroad. “Locally grown vegetables are fewer and typically sold at Rs100 to Rs150 per kg, while imported items or items coming from other parts of province or district command higher rates due to intermediary costs,” they said.

It is reported that over 55 shopkeepers, sellers and commission agents operate in Khokka Bazaar, supplying more than 70pc of vegetables to the city and surrounding areas. Consumers allege that the market committee has failed to regulate prices and it merely publishes rates provided by commission agents during the morning ‘Boli’.

When asked why inflated rates appear on the official price list, Tariq Bashir had no response.

Zubair Ahmed, secretary market committee, says that the published rates reflect actual market prices with a profit margin of less than 10pc added for wholesalers and retailers. But none had an answer about how the price mechanism can be regulated at the time of Boli in early morning time daily.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2025