Tomatoes rates likely to drop in next three weeks, says price control committee chief

Taking notice of the persisting high prices of tomatoes and other vegetables, Chairman Price Control Committee Mian Usman has warned the vegetable vendors to bring down the prices of vegetables in line with the government notified rates. While the marketing wing of the agriculture department has claimed that fresh production of tomatoes will reach the local market in next 20 days from KPK after which prices will reduce.
Meanwhile, the tomatoes continued to be sold in the local market at rates higher than the government notified rates and field teams of the price control committee led by Mian Usman made surprise visits to markets on Burki Road and adjoining areas. They fined 12 shopkeepers heavily for selling vegetables on higher rates while a number of shopkeepers were warned to mend the ways. Mian Usman also enquired about the complaints of citizens. He checked various departmental stores and other shops and directed the owners to sell vegetables on controlled rates.
It is claimed that daily demand of the Lahore division is almost 50 trucks while supply is not increasing from 20 trucks. Only for Lahore, daily 25 trucks of tomatoes are required to meet the demand, claimed market sources. Meanwhile, the Punjab agriculture department hoped that rates would come down in next 20 days after arrival of fresh crop from KPK. About onion, he said supply is right now coming from Balochistan and Sindh.
Due to fluctuation in prices, some merchants are making hay illegally but district governments under the supervision of deputy commissioners are taking action against these merchants under the law. The government's priority is to maintain supply in line with the demand of fruits and vegetables in local market. Pakistan has been facing serious problem regarding tomatoes supply for many years. The government has to spent money and public has to pay high tomatoes prices at the same time for these reasons our tomato cultivators are discouraged. Tomatoes prices remained stable till Eid-ul-Azha but due to heavy rainfall, tomatoes crop in Balochistan and Sindh adversely affected it. Moreover, due to climate adversity, tomatoes crop from KPK is not being marketed timely. Keeping in view this aggravated situation, the government imported tomatoes from Iran and Afghanistan to bridge the gap between demand and supply of tomato crop.