Vegetable, milk prices skyrocketing



By Aamir Shafaat Khan

KARACHI, Aug 4: The retail price of vegetables hit a new peak on Monday as a result of arrival of fewer than usual trucks at the wholesale market on the Super Highway from upcountry after the recent rains in Karachi and other parts of the country.

A vegetable dealer in the New Sabzi Mandi on the Super Highway said that there had been a drop of 30 per cent in the arrival of trucks from upcountry at the wholesale market after the rains in Karachi. As a result, he said, the prices of vegetables at the wholesale level had surged by 10 to 30 per cent. Around 800 to 1,000 trucks carrying vegetables used to arrive at the wholesale market on normal days. Besides, huge quantities of green stuff have also perished.

The wholesale rate of tomato is Rs30 per kilogram, shimla mirch (capsicum), Rs35 per kg; carrot, Rs35 per kg; brinjal, Rs8 per kg; bitter gourd, Rs12 per kg; green chilli, Rs10 per kg; lemon, Rs45 per kg, and coriander and mint at Rs2 per bunch. Ladyfinger is available at Rs30 per kg in the wholesale market.

The increase in wholesale rates has not been so intense but the retailers and push-cart owners have enjoyed a field day in pulling out maximum from the already inflation-hit consumers.

For example, at the retail stage, cauliflower is sold at Rs70 per kg as compared to Rs35 per kg and lemon sells at Rs70 per kg as compared to Rs55 per kg ahead of the rains.

Similarly, bitter gourd is selling at Rs40 per kg as against the pre-rain price of Rs20 per kg. Okra sells at Rs40 per kg as compared to Rs20-25 per kg earlier.

Capsicum is available at Rs80 per kg as compared to Rs50-60 per kg while carrot price is Rs60 as compared to Rs30-35 per kg.

Ginger is available at Rs120 per kg as compared to Rs100 per kg while cabbage is priced at Rs45-50 as compared to Rs25-30 per kg.

The price of brinjal, or eggplant, has surged to Rs20-30 from Rs12-15 per kg. Tomato price has hit Rs50-60 per kg from Rs40 per kg. Retailers are charging Rs5-10 per bunch of coriander and mint respectively.

The authorities, instead of checking the meteoric price rise, have left the consumers at the mercy of retailers, who enjoy a free hand in fleecing them.

Vegetable dealers said that much depended on the rains in the coming days and in case of more rains the price of greens might go higher as the transport of goods from the producing areas to the city’s wholesale market got suspended in the rains.

However, they said there had been enough supply of vegetables from the producing areas but rains created shortages in the markets.

Milk prices

Consumers have received another pre-Ramazan shock as milk-sellers in various areas have increased the rate of fresh milk by Rs4 per litre.

Until now, consumers were paying Rs40 per litre in most areas while milk was also selling at Rs42 per litre in some areas.

President of the All Karachi Milk Retailers Welfare Association Hafiz Nisar Gaddi claimed that only five to 10 per cent retailers in the city were charging Rs44 per litre.

Pointing out that wholesalers and dairy farmers had increased the wholesale price of milk from Rs36 to Rs40 per litre on Aug 1, he argued that retailers had no option but to raise the retail rate. He, however, stated that the association would wait for a reduction at the wholesale level for four more days before deciding to increase the retail milk rate to Rs44 per litre.

He pointed out that the fresh increase by dairy farmers was the third this year. In February, they had raised the rate by Rs2.15 per litre and again in April by Rs3.75 per litre.

He said that dairy farmers were attributing the increases to the repeated hike in oil prices as this ultimately increases cost of transportation of milk and buffalo, besides that of fodder.

He alleged that the city government had been reluctant to restrain dairy farmers/wholesalers from raising the prices arbitrarily. Instead, he regretted, the city government always took action against retailers. “About 15-20 retailers are being picked up every day on the charge of overcharging,” he said.

World oil has decreased in the last 2 weeks, and still prices are skyrocketing.

WTF!

^

WTF == $Democracy;

Exactly Democracy = Hypocracy

When superstore chains start to open all over Pakistan these guys will be sorry. People will flock to these places because they are less likely to raise prices unless they have no choice but to pass the extra cost to consumer.

Good business oppurtunity, consumers will welcome a cheap and honest store.

Exxon/Mobil made over 12 billion dollar in profit last quarter, Shall made almost 10 billion and so did BP, Chevron etc. etc. This is the power of oil dollar (USD) and how the west rob the developing world "legally". While the rest of the world are forced to cut back on their subsistence and basic necessities, these oil giants and western fat cats are awash with obscene profit...and they are looking for more.

Have Coal replace all current and future thermal power plants, that way we relieve the stress on the natural gas industry. Switch all transportation vehicles to CNG (pressure people to do it by removing all oil subsidies), and since we will have a surplus of natural gas production, the cost will be relatively cheap (even compared to CNG prices nowadays). Also make the construction of dams a top priority, that way we have greater water storage capabilities and are able to irrigate far greater amounts of land, and at the same time produce cheap, abundant electricity. This way we have a surplus of cheap every day items.

Oil prices dont effect a countrys economy unless you want it too. No matter what is the situation even give Pakistan oil they will still be poor.

Those companies do not set the oil prices in the world. The market does and the west also feels the pain of high prices.

I blame three things;

1. The smuggling and the incompetent of the government to prevent it.

2. Incompetent agricultural policies. With better agricultural policies we could increase our yields by 4-500%.

3. White Salwar Kameez. Everyone in Pakistan wants to stroll around in white Salwar Kameez or jeans as you kids wear nowadays, nobody is willing to utilise thier land and grow thier own food for thier own needs. Everyone felt it was easier to go to shops and build properties to put on rent on your farming land. Most of Pakistan lives in rural communities or towns and villages with rural surroundings. Why is it people refuse to grow thier own food?

How many people know someone with farm land or any kind of land for that matter, who is saving it as a development opertunity and not farming it.

People need to get back to thier jatt roots.

IHC seeks report on price hike, profiteering



Wednesday, August 06, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Food and Controller General Price to apprise it within two weeks of the steps taken to control price hike and profiteering in the country. Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Aslam issued these direction after hearing arguments of petitioner Kowkab Iqbal advocate, President of Human Rights Society of Pakistan.

He directed the respondents to inform the court of measures taken to enforce the Price Control Act 1977 along with information as to how many violators had been tried and punished under this law.

Kowkab Iqbal, appearing in person, told the court that the price spiral had badly hit the poor and profiteering aggravated the situation. He said the authorised body having the responsibility to keep a check on the prices of daily use items was not doing the needful. The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the respondents to take immediate steps to control the price hike and provide relief to the people.


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