Vegetable, fruit prices continue to go up

LAHORE: Inflationary trend in the prices of seasonal vegetables and fruits continued while a number of items, including ginger and green chili disappeared from the markets ahead of Eidul Azha as consumption of these items increased.

This week the rates of almost all vegetables and fruits were further increased along with open overcharging by the sellers exposing the weak writ of the government and poor governance.

Price list violations were witnessed across the City, including in the makeshift markets and model bazaars established to provide relief to the public. The PTI-led provincial government is least bothered about the public woes and price list violations by the sellers. The public has been left at the mercy of the mafia against which PTI leadership used to raise voice before come to power.

It seems that the political leadership has become part of the mafia and not paying heed to the public grievances. Massive overcharging for a number of vegetables and fruits, including potato, tomato, garlic, brinjal, cabbage and cucumber, was seen this week while a number of vegetables were not sold, including ginger, green chilli, cauliflower, arum, spinach in the weakly makeshift bazaars.

Similarly, a number of fruits were not sold, including pomegranate, papaya and guava on account of wrong pricing issue while B-grade items of the remaining fruits were sold at A-grade rates.

Like the previous practice, soft-skinned potato was not available in any of shop in the City and makeshift markets too. But the price of this variety of potato was issued in the price list to give plea to the sellers to sell the potato of store at the higher rate of soft-skinned potato.

In the Sunday bazaars, the price of soft-skinned potato was reduced by Rs 7 per kg and was fixed at Rs39 to Rs43 per kg, stored variety price was raised by Rs 2 per kg and fixed at Rs17 to Rs19 per kg, and potato, sugar-free, rate was increased by Rs2 and fixed at Rs 23 to 26 per kg, while stored variety was sold at Rs 43 per kg.

This week official price of onion was increased by Rs 6 per kg and fixed at Rs44 to Rs48 per kg but mixed quality onion was sold at Rs48 per kg.

The price of tomato was also further enhanced by Rs 17 per kg and fixed at Rs68 to Rs75 per kg but it was sold at Rs 80 per kg.

The price of lemon was increased by Rs6 per kg and fixed at Rs90 to Rs96 per kg but sold at Rs 100 per kg.

Garlic, local, rate was fixed at Rs142 to Rs152 per kg but sold at Rs180 per kg, garlic hernaiy at Rs 172 to Rs182 per kg with an increase of Rs 9 per kg, but sold at Rs220 per kg. Chinese garlic rate was increased by Rs12 per kg and fixed at Rs217 to Rs227 per kg but sold at Rs280 per kg.

Ginger, Chinese, rate was increased by Rs27 per kg and fixed at Rs272 to Rs282 per kg. Ginger, Singaporean, rate was fixed at Rs224 to Rs229 per kg but not sold in the makeshift markets.

Brinjal rate was further increased by Rs 3 per kg and fixed at Rs46 to Rs50 per kg, but not sold on wrong pricing issue.

Cucumber, farm, rate was fixed at Rs34 to Rs38 per kg, and cucumber, local, rate at Rs39 to Rs48 per kg but cucumber, farm, was sold at Rs60 per kg. Bitter gourd, local, price was fixed at Rs56 to Rs61 per kg but sold at Rs70 per kg.

Spinach rate was increased by Rs3 per kg and fixed at Rs20 to Rs22 kg, but not sold on pricing issue.

Zucchini, local, price was fixed at Rs58 to Rs64 per kg but sold at Rs 70 per kg. Cauliflower price was further increased by Rs2 per kg and fixed at Rs63 to Rs67 per kg but not sold there. Cabbage rate was fixed at Rs40 to Rs44 per kg but it was sold at Rs 60 per kg.

Pumpkin rate was fixed Rs45 to Rs49 per kg but sold at Rs60 per kg and pumpkin, long, was sold at Rs80 per kg.

Luffa rate was reduced by Rs4 per kg and fixed at Rs38 to 42 per kg but sold at Rs 50 per kg. Lady finger rate was further enhanced by Rs 2 per kg and fixed Rs46 to Rs50 per kg. Arum rate was fixed at Rs58 to Rs62 per kg but not sold due to pricing issue.

Green chili price was further raised by Rs9 per kg and fixed at Rs85 to 89 per kg but sold Rs120 per kg.

Capsicum rate was fixed at Rs76 to Rs75 per kg but sold at Rs100 per kg. Carrot rate was fixed at Rs33 to Rs37 per kg but sold at Rs40 per kg.

Coriander rate was fixed at Rs95 per kg but sold at Rs280 per kg. Beans rate were fixed at Rs77 per kg but sold at Rs 200 per kg.

Mangoes, unripe, rate was fixed at Rs40 per kg but sold at Rs50 to Rs60 per kg.

The prices of different varieties of apples were fixed at Rs66 to Rs123 per kg but B-grade apple was sold at Rs130 per kg and A-grade at Rs150 per kg.

The price of Banana, A-category, was fixed at Rs 62 to Rs66 per dozen and B-category at Rs42 to Rs46 per dozen, but it was sold at Rs 60 per dozen, while A-category was not available there.

Papaya rate was fixed at Rs94 to Rs101 per kg but not sold there.

The rates for different varieties of mango were fixed at Rs60 to Rs108 per kg but sold at Rs80 to Rs120 per kg.

Peach, A-category, rate was fixed at Rs125 to Rs133 per kg but mixed quality peach was sold at Rs130 per kg.

Apricot, white, rate was fixed at Rs150 to Rs158 per kg but sold at upto Rs 160 per kg. Plump rate was increased by Rs 13 per kg and fixed at Rs137 to Rs145 per kg but mixed quality plump was sold for up to Rs 150 per kg.

Cantaloupe/rockmelon rate was fixed at Rs55 to Rs59 per kg but sold upto Rs 60 per kg. Pomegranate, local, price was fixed at Rs126 to Rs134 per kg but it was not sold in the makeshift markets.

Grape, black, rate was fixed at Rs125 to Rs133 per kg but not sold. Grape, Sunderkhani, rate was fixed at Rs150 to Rs158 per kg but sold at Rs160 to Rs180 per kg. Grape, Gola, price was fixed at Rs 80 to Rs86 per kg but sold at Rs 120 per kg.

Peer rate was fixed at Rs68 to Rs73 per kg but sold at Rs60 to Rs65 per kg.