No significant change in prices of fruits was witnessed after the three-day boycott call by the consumers groups. A survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Monday revealed that the prices of most of the fruits have been unchanged or have witnessed a slight variation for the last three days.
Majority of the fruit sellers in wholesale as well as retail markets are still selling fruits at skyrocketing prices, on the assumption that the public campaign to boycott expensive fruits will have no impact, said Safeer Ahmad Awan, a fruit vender at Islamabad Fruit & Vegetable Market.
The survey revealed that normal quality white apple is being sold at Rs 90 per kg, while good quality white apple is being sold at Rs 130 per kg, Iranian Kala Kalu apple is available at Rs 250 per kg while its normal quality is available at Rs 200 per kg. Likewise, special carton of mangoes weighing 11-kg is available at Rs 1,600 which in retail market it is being sold at Rs 150 per kg.
Best quality local banana is being sold at Rs 110 per dozen while best quality local banana is being sold at Rs 130-150 per dozen. Good quality Indian banana is being sold at Rs 250 per dozen while its normal quality is available at Rs 200 per dozen. A carton of apricots weighing 5-6 kg is being sold at Rs 550-650, a carton of peach weighing 5-kg at Rs 600 and a carton of normal quality mango weighing 12-kg is available at Rs 1,000, while in retail market, apricot is being sold at Rs 150 per kg, best quality peach at Rs 200 per kg while its normal quality at Rs 150 per kg, and normal quality mangoes are available in the range of Rs 120-140 per kg.
In wholesales market, 5kg melon is available at Rs 200 while in retail it is being sold at Rs 50-60 per kg, while before the Ramazan the same was being sold at Rs 40 per kg. Watermelon in wholesales market is available at Rs 500 per 40-kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs 30 per kg while before Ramazan its price touched as low as Rs 15 per kg.
Chinese pear is being sold at Rs 165 per kg, lemon at Rs 260 per kg, plum special at Rs 175 per kg, normal quality plum at Rs 100-110 per kg, best quality Iranian dates at Rs 250 per kg while its normal quality is available at Rs 200 per kg. Best quality Pakistani dates are being sold at Rs 150 per kg while normal quality dates are available at Rs 100 per kg. General public started a campaign to boycott purchase of fruits, following massive increase in their prices with the start of Ramazan as the authorities concerned failed to stop the profiteers from fleecing the masses.