Sharp increase in prices of vegetables, milk products

Rawalpindi
Once again, wholesale dealers and retail shopkeepers have significantly increased prices of vegetables, milk, yogurt and fruits as compared to the previous month in city markets.
The prices of vegetables, particularly onion, ginger, ladyfinger, cauliflower, cabbage and capsicum, registered a sharp increase. One kilogram of onion is being sold for Rs50 against Rs25-30, which means onion prices have jumped by Rs20-25 per kilogram in a matter of a few days. One kilogram of ladyfinger is being sold at Rs150, capsicum at Rs120, cabbage at Rs50 and ginger at Rs160 per kilogram.
On the other hand, milkmen have also increased rates of milk and yogurt at will without seeking permission from the City District Government. They are selling one-litre milk for Rs80, 90 and 100 and yogurt at Rs90. Similarly, the prices of apple, banana, melon and other fruits also rose up sharply. Whereas mutton is being sold in markets at Rs600-650 and beef at Rs400-450 per kilogram. Low quality 20-kilogram ‘atta’ bag is available at Rs750-770 while for fine quality, customers have to pay Rs800-850.
The City District Government on the other hand is only busy in issuing price lists, but failed to control ever-increasing price hike, leaving public in the lurch.
When ‘The News’ contacted All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Association Vice Chairman Haji Muhammad Aftab, he admitting all facts and correlated the sudden rise in vegetable prices with hike in petroleum products this month.
“Transporters are demanding higher carriage rates after increase in POL prices, he claimed. The producers are selling their products at the same prices but after adding carriage and other expenses retailers are getting more profit. The local government should control prices in retail markets,” he suggested.
Additional District Collector General (ADGC) Imran Ahmed Qureshi, when contacted by ‘The News,’ said that they were trying to control inflation. “We are continuously registering FIRs and imposing fines on profiteers. We have also sent dozens of profiteers to the jail for overcharging,” he claimed.
Zara Hussain, a housewife, regretted that now it has become impossible for a middle class family to buy vegetables.
Bashir Ahmed, a schoolteacher, said that the government is giving relief but local management is not paying attention to controlling prices in local markets. “As summer season has started, milkmen increased prices of milk and yogurt at will and nobody is questioning them as to why they did so,” he asked.