KARACHI, Jan 9: Wholesalers have claimed normal price movement at Subzi Mandi, but said the retailers pushed up the prices by at least 10-20 per cent in the last one week.

Neither the federal nor the provincial government have any time to check the profiteering as in posh localities the retailers have their own mechanism of making windfall.

Even the city administration is not serious to check their profit margin.

Consumers said that retailers started charging higher rates attributing the increase to surging wholesale prices while on the other hand wholesalers said that the retailers didn’t reduce the prices when they lift the items from wholesale market at lower rate.

“General buyers do not know the prices prevailing in the Subzi Mandi and they become helpless in buying vegetables as many of them cannot afford beef, mutton and chicken,” a wholesaler remarked.

A random market survey reveals that tomato price had shot up to Rs70-80 per kg in various markets but in posh areas retailers were charging Rs90-100 per kg.

At wholesale market tomato was available at Rs40-60 per kg depending on the quality.

In many posh localities, retailers are demanding Rs30 per kg for onion despite procuring it at Rs10-16 per kg. In other localities the retail rate hovers between Rs20-25 per kg.

Potato’s retail rate in many localities was Rs30 per kg while in middle income group areas the commodity was selling between Rs25-30 per kg. At Super Highway Subzi Mandi, its wholesale price is Rs12-15 per kg depending on the size.

Peas were being retailed at Rs100 per kg in posh areas as compared to Rs70-80 per kg. In the last one week, its wholesale price climbed to Rs40-50 per kg from Rs30-40 per kg.

Lady finger was available at Rs100 per kg in Clifton and Defence while in other areas it was selling at Rs80-90 per kg. Its wholesale price was Rs60-70 per kg.

Ginger was selling in many localities at Rs100-120 per kg while it was available at Rs70-80 per kg in wholesale market. Garlic (peeled) being retailed at Rs120-140 per kg while its wholesale rate was Rs100.

Carrot was selling at Rs20-25 per kg in wholesale market but retailers were fleecing consumers by charging Rs40-60 per kg in various areas.

Chairman Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market Haji Shahjehan said that prices of vegetables usually remain normal in winter but record winter in Punjab had made adverse impact on some crop while the supplies of some vegetables was also interrupted due to fog.