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Prices of vegetables,
pulses and sugar surge
KARACHI-Consumers came under
increasing pressures during February as prices of essential
kitchen items - pulses, vegetables, sugar and some rice
varieties - went up.
Slow imports due to higher import prices as well as short
supply of all these commodities from domestic sources are
being blamed for the price spiral.
A sudden surge in prices of onion by Rs2 per kg to Rs10 from
Rs8 per kg somewhat disturbed the consumers' monthly budget as
the commodity is an essential kitchen item in almost every
household. In some areas it is being sold at Rs12 per kg, a
monthly price survey (from February 1 to March 1) revealed on
Friday.
Onion prices had been unchanged since last few months,
maintaining at Rs8 per kg. Its wholesale prices now range
between Rs8 to Rs9.50 per kg as compared to Rs4 to Rs5 last
month.
Chairman, Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, Super
Highway, Haji Shahjehan, said that farmers remained reluctant
to grow more onion due to water shortage coupled with low
prices fetched last year. Crops of Mirpur, Tando Allah Yar,
Sanghar and Kunri have finished and the markets are expected
to see new arrivals from Jhadu, Thanboola Khan, Badin and Dadu
in the next 10 days, but crops in these areas are very low.
To overcome shortage, some parties in Karachi imported 40-50
tons of onion from Iran at the rate of Rs7-8 per kg, but it
was insufficient to meet the regular demand as well as rising
consumption in Eid-ul-Azha last week, he said.
He said prices were expected to remain under pressure in
future until more imported onion was not arrived and frequent
supplies from the local crops were not resumed. He said that
onion from Punjab would start arriving from May-June.
Potato prices also remain under pressure as dealers have
started putting the Punjab's crop into the cold storages due
to lower crop situation. In some areas, its price has surged
to Rs10 per kg from Rs8 despite the fact that its prices in
Subzi Mandi hover between Rs5 and Rs6 per kg.
Tomato prices also registered upward movement to Rs16 per kg
from Rs10 and in some areas, retailers are charging Rs18-20
per kg. Its wholesale prices have also surged to Rs15 per kg
from Rs5-6. Prices may stabilize in the next 15 days when new
arrivals from Gharo, Sujawal and Thatta will enter the
markets. A sizable quantity from the Sindh crop is also being
transported to Punjab and Sarhad. Tomato prices had shoot up
to Rs28 per kg ahead of Eid-ul-Azha owing to rising demand.
Sugar price rose up to Rs23 per kg at retail level from Rs22
despite a stock of 1.293 million tons available with the mills
and the crushing season is in full swing. According to
Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) figures as on February
15, 2002, out of total production of 1.976 million tons, 0.697
million tons had been lifted from the mills. Currently,
sugar's wholesale price is tagged at Rs21.40 to Rs21.50 per
kg.
In pulses, gram pulse became costlier to Rs32-35 per kg from
Rs29-30 per kg, while its good quality is being sold at Rs40
per kg. Its wholesale price is Rs29 per kg.
Secretary, Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Group (KWGG), Mohammad
Shakil, linked the price hike to slow arrival of gram pulse
from Australia due to higher prices.
He said prices of moong (from local crop) also jumped to Rs32-
34 per kg from Rs28 following the increase in wholesale price
to Rs30 per kg from Rs26. He attributed the price hike to
frequent export of moong to Dubai. Mash arriving from Burma
also became dearer to Rs32-35 per kg from Rs30 per kg.
Prices of arhar (from local crop) and masur (arriving from
Australia and Canada) depicted no change, pegging at last
month's level of Rs28-30 per kg each.
Among the various varieties of rice, the wholesale price of
386 variety (non-basmati) surged to Rs20.50 per kg from Rs18
because of crop shortage in Punjab by 84 per cent. However,
overall production of rice varieties have declined to 2.081
million tons from 2.577 million tons in Punjab, but its impact
is yet to reflect in Karachi markets, Mohammad Shakil said.
Irri 6-9 is being sold at Rs11-18 per kg while the price of
various varieties of basmati stay at Rs24-36 per kg. Kernal is
sold at Rs40-45 per kg. The minimum price of basmati is quoted
at Rs20-28 per kg, while its lowest quality is retailed at
Rs18-20 per kg.
Change of weather curtailed the demand of poultry products,
which had been rising since the last few months due to rising
winter.
Egg prices caved in by Rs4 per dozen to Rs32 from Rs36 per
dozen. Poultry live bird prices dipped to Rs54 per kg from
Rs56.
courtesy Daily The News, 1
March, 2002
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