KARACHI: Tomato prices across the country have skyrocketed in recent days as consumers paid up to Rs160 per kg for the commodity on Monday. Rates of onion and potato also crawled up, with retailers attributing the price hike to rising wholesale prices.

In Lahore, tomato is selling at Rs100-110 per kg and onion and potato at Rs60 per kg. While consumers in Islamabad paid Rs100 per kg for tomato while potato and onion are available at Rs70-80 per kg.

The rates major cities suggest that people of Karachi are the worst hit especially in paying the most expensive price of tomato.

It seems that market forces have made a case for onion price hike ahead of start of new Islamic year since the vegetable usually becomes the most sought-after item used in Muharram-specific dishes from first of Muharram to Ashura.

Some 15 days back, wholesale price of tomato was hovering between Rs20-25 per kg which rose to Rs40-50 per kg last week and on Monday the wholesale price was ranging between Rs100-120 per kg depending on the quality.

Retailers are fleecing consumers by charging higher prices for normal quality and size tomato as many of them are demanding Rs40 per 250 grams.

Onion’s retail price also went up to Rs60 per kg from Rs40-50 per kg last week due to increase in its wholesale price to Rs40-45 from Rs35 per kg in the last one week.Potato, arriving from cold storages, costs Rs40 per kg as its wholesale price has also risen to Rs30-35 from Rs25-30 per kg last week.

Giving reason of increase in vegetable prices, Chairman Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market Super Highway, Haji Shahjehan held suspension in supply of tomato from India last week as one of the main reasons. He ruled out any Indian ban on tomato exports due to rising consumption in Diwali.

He said tomato from new Sindh crop has started and currently production of Badin is finding way into the market. He added that improved supplies from Sindh crop would cause drop in prices definitely.

Shahjehan said that over 300 trucks carrying Indian tomato were also waiting at the Wagah Border and their release would normalise the rates.

He said onion was being exported to many countries as new Sindh crop has already got underway. Supply from new crop will improve significantly in coming weeks which will help bring down prices.

In potato, new crop of Punjab will arrive from Nov 15 but till then the prices may remain under pressure.