KARACHI, Aug 28: Consumers paying the year’s highest price of Rs190 per kg for poultry meat should prepare themselves for still harder times.
The wholesalers of essential items are anticipating shortage and price-hike in Ramazan. This time round they are blaming it on the ban on the movement of heavy vehicles in the city.
Besides, masoor and mash have already become costlier by R5 and Rs6 per kg before the finalisation of the price- list between the city government and the stakeholders ahead of Ramazan.
Poultry meat sellers following surge in demand ahead of Shab-i-Barat are cashing in on the situation and have pushed up the meat rate to Rs180-190 per kg.
A week back, poultry meat was available at Rs176-178 per kg. Live bird is now selling at Rs108 per kg as per rates announced by the Karachi Wholesalers’ Poultry Association (KWPA), while the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has issued the rate of Rs106 per kg.
In the first week of this month, poultry live bird (broiler) was selling at Rs80 per kg. Prior to rains in second the week, its prices rose to Rs84 per kg while its meat was available at Rs130-140 per kg.
Poultry traders defend the hike in prices saying heavy rains have damaged thousands of poultry farms. The Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has already claimed to have suffered a loss of Rs670 million in the last week of June due to rains, thunderstorm and scorching heat that had killed 3-3.2 million birds in the interior Sindh and Karachi. The August rain spell had killed over 500,000 birds in Karachi and other areas.
The high demand in the marriage season and short supplies from the farms have caused price flare up in poultry meat.
Resultantly, tikka and broast shop owners have also increased their rates. Currently, a quarter broast is available at Rs80, while chicken tikka is selling at Rs70-75, up by Rs5 to Rs10 per piece. Hotel and restaurants owners have also jacked up their rates chicken related dishes.
Coming to grocery items, the city government and the market players have set September 6 deadline for finalising rate list of all the essential items before the start of holy month.
Meanwhile, masoor price surged to Rs58 as compared to Rs52 per kg on August 1. An importer said that its international prices had surged to $680 per ton from $650 on rising demand from Bangladesh. Mash price climbed to Rs65 from Rs60 per kg.
Chairman Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) Anis Majeed said that due to ban on heavy vehicles in day times the supply of essential items to the wholesale market was hurting.
He said some 400-500 trucks and containers from ports and upcountry arrived daily in the city but the ban had slowed down their movement.
He said wholesalers usually maintained stocks of two to three days provided supplies from ports and upcountry remained stable.
Anis said that truck owners were demanding double and triple charges for transportation of goods after 11pm because unloading took time making it difficult for them to leave the city roads before 6.00am.
The wholesale markets may face shortage of grocery items in Ramazan if the ban on movement of heavy vehicle during day time is not removed.
He said grocery items like pulses, sugar, rice, wheat, atta etc., were either imported from abroad or arrived from the upcountry.
