Poultry dealers and butchers have started squeezing the people by charging with high rates as prices of poultry products, meat, fruits and other Eid specific items registered a substantial rise with increasing demand of these commodities in local markets ahead of major religious festival Eid. Usually, the prices of essential commodities were become costlier on the special occasion of Eid, but this year, prices of almost all essential food items recorded a substantial increase, importantly poultry, fruits, meat and vegetable items.
A visit to the local market by this scribe on Thursday, it was witnessed that prices of almost all essential commodities, particularly poultry, meat and vegetable were registered 70 to 80 percent increase, wherein the poultry dealers and butchers have not displayed the official price list, while they are charging artificial rates to customers.
The burgeoning increase in prices of essential commodities of daily use had dampened Eid celebration. According to market rates on Thursday, the chicken meat was being sold at Rs 220 per kg against the official rate of Rs 180 per kg. Similarly, the prices of cow and buffalo meat also registered unprecedented as being selling at Rs 400 per kg against the official fixed rate of Rs 220 per kg.
The poultry dealers and vendors have attributed that prices were gone up due to low supply on the eve of Eid and they bought chickens on high rates and selling with marginal profit of Rs 40 to Rs 50 per chicken. Tomato is being sold at Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kilogram, which was being available at Rs 20 to Rs 30 per kg only three days ago, because of rising demand of the commodity on the occasion of Eid, while rate of ginger also increased at Rs 300 per kilogram, which was available at Rs 220 per kg a few day back. Garlic is being available at Rs 120 per kilogram, against Rs 100 per kg. A five-kilogram high quality onion is available at Rs 250, which was selling at Rs 170 and Rs 200 during holy month of Ramazan. Green chilly is being sold at Rs 120 per kilogram, which was selling at Rs 60 per kg in the Ramazan.
Similarly, five kilogram red potato is being sold at Rs 350, which was selling at Rs 250 before starting of Eid. The prices of cauliflower was being available at Rs 120 per kg, against Rs 80 per kilogram a few days back, while prices of ladyfinger also increased from Rs 60 to Rs 100 per kg. Shimla mirch was available at Rs 150 against Rs 80 per kg, cabbage being sold at Rs 80 per kg, peas at Rs 120 per kg, Arvi at Rs 60 to 80 per kg, tinda at Rs 60 per kg, ladyfinger at Rs 100 per kg, cauliflower at Rs 50 per kg, Kaddo at Rs 40 per kg. Cucumber is being available at Rs 50 per kg, and lemon was being available at Rs 140 per kg.
The high trend was also witnessed in pulses' prices, as prices were registered 20 to 30 percent increase in these commodities, while retailers and vendors are not selling pulses/grains as per official prices in open market. The daal maash is being available at Rs 200 per kg, daal masoor at Rs 110 per kg, daal channa at Rs 70 per kg. Rice high quality is being sold at Rs 130 and low quality at Rs 100 per kg, while tota rice is being available at Rs 70 per kg. Daal Moong is being available at Rs 120 per kg. Sugar is being sold at Rs 70 per kg, baisen at Rs 90 per/kg against the official price of Rs 70 per kg.
Similarly, a sharp increase was witnessed in all fruits in the wholesale and retail markets. Banana is being sold at Rs 120-150 per kg, apple at Rs 300-200 per/kg, grapes are being available at Rs 200-180 per kg, and apricot at Rs 240-200 per kg. Traders and retailers told this scribe that the prices remained high during the Eid, due to low supply amid increasing demand of essential commodities.