Sugar price surged by Rs 17 per kg during Ramazan despite the fact that the country had imported 125,625 tons of the commodity in July, contradicting the impression regarding its shortage in the country. "Sugar was available for Rs 65 on the first day of Ramazan, while it is now selling between Rs 80 and Rs 82 per kg on the retail market," said the general secretary of Karachi Retail Grocers Group, Fareed Qureshi.
He said that sugar sales were mounting, as its demand in Ramazan always remained higher. However, after Eid ul Fitr consumers were expected to cut its purchase significantly. In some areas of the metropolis, there have been complaints of unavailability of sugar during Ramazan. Market sources attributed the sweetener scarcity to slow supply of the commodity in the wake of poor law and order situation. Besides, its transportation to Karachi markets from different flood ravaged areas of Sindh was interrupted.
Sugar import surged by 236.88 percent or $52.821 million to $75.120 million in July this year as compared to its import of $22.299 million in the same period of last fiscal year, according to official statistics. In terms of volume, the country imported 125,625 tons of sugar during July 2010 as compared to 47,495 tons in July 2009, depicting a rise of 78,130 tons in sugar imports. Sugar import also remained 43.13 percent or $22.637 million higher in July 2010 as compared with its import in June 2010, during which the sweetener imports stood at $52.483 million.