KARACHI, Sept 30: The month of September proved tough on the consumers who paid higher prices for pulses, vegetables, poultry products against some relief in prices of a few flour varieties. Prices of most kitchen items remained unchanged.
Although the city government has issued the price list for Ramazan, there has been a marked disparity in market and official rates. There were hardly any markets where retailers were following the official price. Many retailers were booked for overcharging and sent behind the bars but it appeared that the city government’s price checking campaign had yet to provide any relief to the consumers in shape of price stability.
A random market survey revealed an increase in price of gram pulse to Rs48 from Rs44 per kg on September 1 while its official rate is Rs40 per kg. Dal masoor rate surged to Rs40 from Rs32 per kg while its official rate is Rs34 per kg.
Black gram was now priced at Rs49 as compared to Rs40 per kg on September 1. The city government’s rate is 38 per kg.
The market rate of moong dropped to Rs58 from Rs68 in line with the official rate. The rate of mash plunged to Rs55 from Rs60 per kg. Its control rate is fixed at Rs50 per kg.
Retailers said gram pulse, black gram, kabuli channa and masoor were short of supply in the markets as wholesalers had suspended the sale of these items, saying that it was not feasible for them to sell these items at reduced rates notified by the city government. Besides, chakki owners had also stopped grinding gram for making basin.
Poultry trade people continued to mint money from the consumers by charging Rs104 per kg (according to the Pakistan Poultry Association rates), compared to the September 1 rate of Rs86 per kg. Poultry meat is now selling between Rs170 and Rs185 per kg depending on the areas as compared to Rs160 per kg. The city government did not fixed its rate for Ramazan and the stakeholders of poultry business are fully utilising the situation by linking the price hike to the short supply from the poultry farms in interior Sindh.
Onion was selling at Rs18 per kg as compared to Rs15 per kg as rains had devastated the upcoming Sindh crop which was due to arrive in October. Currently, onion was arriving from Balochistan.
The price of atta No.2.5 declined by one rupee per kg because of fixing of its official price by the Sindh government, while consumers continued to pay higher prices for fine and chakki atta whose prices had not been fixed by the government.
Milk retailers and the city government were at odds over the official price fixing of Rs28 a litre. On Saturday many retailers were seen selling milk at control rate because of strict price vigilance by the government officials, while in many areas retailers observed a shutter-down strike.
Milk retailers said the city government had not penalised the wholesalers and dairy farmers from where the actual increase had started. Ultimately, the retailers had been imposed fines and sent to jails for overcharging. They said dairy farmers provided milk at Rs28 per litre to the retailers. “How could retailers sell it at Rs28 a litre to the consumers?” they asked.
Retailers of fruits were openly seen violating the official rate and consumers were paying higher prices.
