KARACHI, May 25: Falling prices of vegetables except potatoes due to improved supplies have brought a sigh of relief to the consumers.
The prices of various greens had risen in middle of April after increased transportation cost. The situation has, however, changed owing to oversupply in many vegetables.
For example, a large number of push cart vendors have emerged in the city selling onions for Rs8-10 per kg, while in the markets it sells at Rs15 per kg.
However, consumers are confused over the quality. In Subzi Mandi at Super Highway the low quality onion price hovers between Rs3 to 4 per kg while high quality is available between Rs6 to 7 per kg.
It means that retailers even after lifting the high quality onion at Rs7 to 8 per kg are still reaping double profits.
President Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market Haji Shahjehan said that suspension in exports of onion for the last two months had caused a glut like situation in the market.
He hoped that the onion price may remain stable as Balochistan crop will find its way to the market in June.
In tomato, the retail price of good quality stuff is Rs20 per kg, while it was available at Rs25-30 per kg last month. Its wholesale price had fallen to Rs8 to 10 from Rs15-20 per kg last month.
He said the supply of tomato from Sindh crop is in full swing while some quantities have also started arriving from Punjab.
Only potato has become costlier in the last one month. The number one quality of potato at wholesale stage is available at Rs20-22 per kg, while number two quality is selling at Rs16-18 per kg.
Retailers are demanding Rs25-35 per kg depending on the areas.
Despite declining trend in wholesale prices and city government’s inability to regulate prices, retailers are charging higherrates from the consumers.
In case of garlic, whose wholesale price had swelled to Rs180 per kg two months back, now sells between Rs70-80 per kg. Last month, its wholesale price was Rs100 per kg.
Retailers are still charging Rs130-150 per kg from the end users, while claiming it as number one quality.
Ginger’s wholesale price is Rs50-60 per kg after dropping from Rs80 per kg last month but retailers are still pocketing Rs100-120 per kg.
The wholesale price of turrai (Zucchini) and lokki (Bottle gourd) is Rs8 to 10 per kg but its retail price is Rs20-25 per kg.
Tinda’s (Round gourd) wholesale rate is Rs10-15 per kg but retailers are charging Rs30-40 perDespite last year floods vegetable exports had risen by 103 per cent in value and 24 per cent in quantity.
In July-April 2010-11 vegetable exports fetched $199 million (470,919 tons) as compared to $98 million (380,958 tons) in the same period of last fiscal year.
All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association chairman Abdul Malik linked the rise in vegetable exports to increase in onion and potato exports in early season.
He, however, he said Pakistan’s onion exports were almost suspended for the last few months as India and Bangladesh captured various markets on price factor as their governments had given subsidy to their exporters.
He said that potato exports had slowed down this month after fetching $48 million from January to April, 2011 with 116,000 tons.