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Friday February 07, 2025

Massive overcharging on chicken meat

By Jawwad Rizvi
January 13, 2025
A poultry worker checks chicken at a poultry farm on the outskirts of Karachi. — AFP/File
A poultry worker checks chicken at a poultry farm on the outskirts of Karachi. — AFP/File

LAHORE: The district administration has failed to implement official rate list as beef, mutton, chicken, fruits, vegetables and pulses are being sold 25 to 100 percent higher than the fixed rates.

The issue of overcharging on chicken meat was not resolved as the sellers even didn’t display rate lists and refused to sell at official fixed rates to the buyers. The practice of massive overcharging on chicken meat has been continuing for the last fortnight while the sellers alleged that the government has been issuing fake rate list of chicken.

Similarly, overcharging also continues on fruits and vegetables. The government has fixed the rates of citrus fruits in dozen while the sellers across the provincial metropolis are selling in kg. If a buyer wants to buy citrus fruits in dozen, the sellers charged higher prices than official rates. In case of vegetables, the sellers are selling B and C category items higher than the A category rates and for A category charging double rates from the official rates.

This week the price of chicken was reduced by Rs3 per kg in official rate list and fixed at Rs394-408 per kg, which sold at Rs550-600 per kg, and chicken meat by Rs4 per kg, fixed at Rs591 per kg, and sold Rs700-1200 per kg on Sunday.

The price of potato soft skin A-grade was further reduced by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs55-60 per kg, sold at Rs100 per kg, B-grade at Rs48-52 per kg and C-grade at Rs40-43 per kg, mixed sold at Rs80 per kg.

The price of onion A-grade declined by Rs20 per kg, fixed at Rs112-120 per kg, sold at Rs150-160 per kg, B-grade at Rs93-100 per kg, and C-grade at Rs79-85 per kg, mixed sold at Rs120-130 per kg.

The price of tomato A-grade declined by Rs55 per kg, fixed at Rs118-130 per kg, sold at Rs200-220 per kg, B-grade fixed at Rs104-115 per kg, and C-grade at Rs85-90 per kg, mixed sold at Rs140-160 per kg. Capsicum price was reduced by Rs40 per kg, fixed at Rs172-180 per kg, sold at Rs220-280 per kg.

Price of cauliflower unchanged at Rs47-50 per kg, sold at Rs80-100 per kg, cabbage declined by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs33-35 per kg, sold Rs80-100 per kg.

Carrot Chinese fixed at Rs95-100 per kg, sold at Rs300 per kg, carrot local unchanged at Rs38-40 per kg, sold at Rs60-80 per kg.

The price of Banana A-category further gained by Rs25 per kg, at Rs162-180 per dozen, sold at Rs220-250 per dozen, and B-category fixed at Rs98-110 dozen, sold at Rs150-180 per dozen, and C-category at Rs53-60 per dozen, sold at Rs120-130 per dozen.

Guava was further gained by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs125-155 per kg, sold at Rs150-200 per kg. Kinow was gained by Rs35 per dozen, fixed Rs135-280 per dozen, sold at Rs200-450 per dozen. Fruiter was further increased by Rs50 per dozen, fixed at Rs85-215 per dozen, sold at Rs180-350 per dozen.