The food price has risen substantially during first 10-days of holy month of Ramazan, as the city district government literally failed to keep check on rising rates of daily use kitchen commodities, including Ramazan special items.
A quick check by Business Recorder revealed prices have risen anywhere from 80 to 90 per cent on a variety of food items across key categories from fruits to vegetables, flour gram, pulses, ghee, sugar, dates, and other Ramazan special items in the markets. Since the beginning of Ramazan, residents claim that food prices have increased.
Shoppers said that a kilogram of locally-produced tomatoes that normally costs Rs 30 had risen to Rs 70, a five kg pack of sugar had increased from Rs 275 to Rs 350, and a dozen of bananas that usually cost Rs 40 had gone up to Rs 80-100 in the market. Lemon is being sold at Rs 280 kg, which was selling at Rs 80 per kg before the start of Ramazan. A one-kilogram dates, is being sold at Rs 200 to Rs 300 in first 10-days of the holy month.
According to survey revealed that a one-kilogram peas is being sold at Rs 250, ladyfinger at Rs 70 per kg, and arvi at Rs 60 per kg. A five kilogram potato with various varieties is being available at Rs 150, Rs 120 and Rs 100, registering a 50 per cent increase in this commodity due to its increasing demand in holy month of Ramazan. The price of a kilogram good quality Ginger had gone up at Rs 160 to Rs 280. However, price of tomato has decreased as five kilogram available at Rs 120-150, which was selling at Rs 200 and Rs 250 during the preceding week.
A one-kilogram flour gram (baisen) has touched new peak at Rs 120 from Rs 70 before the beginning of the holy month. Other pulses rates also shot up by 50 to 70 per cent in the market as good rice being sold at Rs 135 and Rs 155 against the official rates of Rs 110 in market, rice (salla), had risen from Rs 95 to Rs 100 per kg, white bean being available at Rs 100 per kg, red bean china at Rs 155 per kilogram.
Price of malaka masoor had gone up from Rs 130 from Rs 116 per kg, dal masoor at Rs 120 per kg, gram flour at Rs 120 which was selling at Rs 68 per kg before the Ramazan. Similarly, the price of sugar is also costlier in market as a one-kilogram being sold at Rs 70, with increasing of 22 rupees per kilogram during the preceding week. Likewise, a rise of Rs 90 has registered in a 20-kg sac of flour, while Rs 250 increases flour bag weight 75 kilogram.
Butchers are also taking full advantage of the situation as increase artificial prices of beef as available at Rs 300 per kg, against the official rates, fixed at Rs 240 per kg, beef without bone being sold at Rs 350 per kg. According to official rate of cow meat, which fixed at Rs 270, but the butchers sold at Rs 290 per kg, and without bone at Rs 350 per kg. Goat meat is available at Rs 700 per kilogram, sheep meat at Rs 700 to Rs 750 per kilogram.
With advent of holy month, according to survey, the prices of apples, mangoes, peaches, bananas, apricot, lychee, grapes, aurora plums, and dates were registered 80 to 90 per cent increase in wholesale and retail markets. The vendors and merchants are swindling faithful in the absence of official prices, as consumers are at the mercy of profiteers during the whole month of Ramazan.
The fruits vendors displayed official prices list as majority they said that the government did not issue price list during the holy month, whereas government officials are not seen in the market to check overpricing. Banana is being available at Rs 100 per dozen, which was selling at Rs 30-40 per dozen before the start of the holy month. Similarly, Mango is being sold at Rs 100-120/kg against Rs 70/kg.
The price of grapes also increased manifold as available at Rs 200-180 per/kg, while apricot is being soled at Rs 150 against Rs 100/kg. Peach is being sold at Rs 80 against Rs 60/kg, while banana is available at Rs 100-80 per/dozen against Rs 40 and Rs 50 per/dozen. Muskmelon is being sold at Rs 50/kg, watermelon is being available at Rs 80/piece, aurora plums available at Rs 150-180 per kg. A one-kg apple is being sold at Rs 200-250.
Consumers looking for quality eatables at fair prices are hugely disappointed by retailers and stall-holders operating under the city government's price relief scheme. The city government has again failed to provide any relief to inflation-hit masses in the holy month, despite setting up a 'Ramazan Sasta Bazaar'. According to buyers, there was no difference rates of commodities at the bazaar, which also same at open market.
"Shoppers are concerned about the rising prices of commodities, particularly food items during the fasting month of Ramadan. I've noticed that everything has gone up and many essential commodities have smaller margins while others have big differences," Shumaila Tariq, a housewife said.
At the beginning of Ramazan, all the food items, like sugar, vegetables, and chicken were at a reasonable price. But now that we are half way through the month, I've noticed that everything has gone up and I'm spending almost 50 per cent more than what I used to," said Muhammad Javed.