Meat rates up after budget

LAHORE: Just after one week of the budget the rate of red meat has increased by Rs100 to 150 per kilogram in Lahore while the provincial government is busy in making eyewash arrangements for special Ramazan bazaars to control artificial price-hike during the holy month.
Interestingly, red meat was already being sold higher than the official rate in the market as the district administration never checked the sellers of beef and mutton and only focused on crackdown on chicken meat sellers which price was fixed on daily basis. The checking on the daily basis price is relatively a difficult task as compared to the mutton and beef prices and quality checking. But the district administration has never taken interest in it - reasons best known to the district administration or rulers.
The price of boneless beef has registered an increase of Rs100 per kilogram just in a week while Rs130 per kg fortnightly in open markets. Beef boneless was being sold at Rs320 per kg two weeks ago but this week sold at Rs450 per kg.
The official price of beef is Rs250 per kg while butchers sold Rs280 per kg for boneless meat as the government gives some relaxation in it. However, beef is being sold now at Rs300 to 350 per kg. Same is the case with mutton. The official rate of mutton is Rs500 per kg at which it was never sold in some markets since the price was fixed. Currently, mutton price increased to Rs800 per kg in one week time from Rs700 to 750 per kg.
The most alarming situation is that someone is paying this high price of donkey meat in the city. Nobody can differentiate between donkey meat, mutton and beef hanging at butcher shops. Just imagine if a buyer is paying Rs800 per kg for donkey meat or Rs450 per kg for boneless beef. But as there is no check, buyer is the victim of this situation, as the government is still unable to control the killing of donkeys in the province.
The government is itself responsible for creating distortions of meat prices in the market. The government has allowed branded shops and super stores to sell mutton and beef much higher than the official and open market rates. The price of beef ranged between Rs380 to 550 per kg at these stores of different parts of slaughtered the cow/calf against the official rates of Rs250 per kg only.
Similarly, for mutton, these shops are charging Rs700 to 900 per kg for different parts of goat. Now when the government itself allows the sale of meat at higher than the official rate to these shops how it can control and stop open market butchers from overcharging. Butchers claimed that the price of live animals are increased due to meat export and smuggling to Afghanistan. Thus the price of red meat is increased in the local market. Contrary to their claims, fact is different, as the meat sold in the local market is not of export quality while the Afghanis like aged animal meat. Thus the claim of the butcher is completely wrong. Now the question arises why the government has become silent spectator on the situation and for how long it will keep its eye closed on such issues.