Vegetables' prices are started hiking up ahead of Eid-ul-Azha and the retailers expressed fear that they may become dearer in next couple of days. The skyrocketing rates of vegetables consumed daily by a large segment of the population is attributed by the retailer to high cost of transport, hording of vegetables by traders and the devastation of large quantity of vegetable crops spread over vast areas of agriculture land of Sindh as a consequence of monsoon rains.
They said that consumption of onion, green chilli, tomato, lemon and garlic increases during Eid-ul-Azha and alleged that the traders have started hoarding of onion to make money during Eid-ul-Azha. According to a survey, the price of tomatoes ranges from Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg a few days back, it was being offered at Rs 20 per kg, onion Rs 45 to Rs 50 per kg depending on quality of onion, green chilli Rs 30 per 100 grams and lemon Rs 120 per kg to Rs 150 per kg. Prices of ladyfinger, bottle gourds, green peas; cauliflower; line and other vegetables, which are usually sold at Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg now offered at Rs 60 to Rs 80 per kg.
Prices of ladyfinger increased to Rs 70 per kg, garlic from Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg. A bundle of coriander leaves, which is generally sold at Rs 5 is being sold at Rs 10. Potatoes are being sold at Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg. Steep rise in prices of substantial number of vegetables during the last few weeks in wholesale and retail markets of Karachi, has negative impact on the buying power of an overwhelming number of consumers pushing them beyond their buying capacity.