Official prices of vegetables down but vendors overcharge

LAHORE: The profiteers took benefit of the lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 lockdown and openly overcharged the consumers, selling the perishables on their own prices in the absence of any government checks.

The government authorities are busy in covid-19 management related activities. The hoarders and the profiteers are manipulating the situation and overcharging the buyers in the name of shortage, increase in transport charges, unavailability of vegetables and fruits at the wholesale level due to the lockdown.

However, contrary to this, the auctioning of the fruits and vegetables is being done in Badami Bagh and other wholesale fruits and vegetables markets in routine, besides no major supply side issues.

The market committee officials claim that smooth supplies of fruits and vegetables are continuously pouring in the City market which is reflected in decline in official rate lists. However, implementation of official prices has been weakening since the last week after Covid-19 lockdown activities. They said that the district management enforced the official rates but now they were busy in lockdown-related activities which had given the opportunities to the sellers to fleece the public.

Across the City, the fruit and vegetable vendors are freely charging exorbitant prices from the public. A senior official of the district government admitted that the issue of overcharging on perishable items has intensified in the wake of covid-19 outbreak as the government had focused towards the lockdown activities while the vendors were fleecing the public.

Despite the fact the government has kept the sellers of perishables in relaxed list in terms of time and allowed them to do business from dawn to dusk to avoid any shortage and crisis due to lockdown, the sellers are habitual of wrong practices and always started overcharging whenever they got the chance, the official was of the view.

This Sunday again, no weekly makeshift market was established due to ongoing Covid-19 lockdown while regular markets, shops of fruits and vegetables remained functional. The official price of potato, soft skin new, A-grade was reduced by Re 1 per kg, fixed at Rs32 to Rs34 per kg, and potato B-grade at Rs30 to Rs32 per kg but mixed quality potato was sold at Rs50 per kg.

The price of onion A-grade was fixed at Rs50 to Rs54 per kg, B-grade at Rs46 to Rs50 per kg but mixed sold at Rs65 to Rs 70 per kg.

The price of tomato A-grade was reduced by Rs19 per kg, fixed at Rs24 to Rs26 per kg, B-grade at Rs22 to Rs24 per kg but mixed sold at Rs40 to Rs50 per kg.

The price of garlic, local, was decreased by Rs22 per kg, fixed at Rs123 to Rs128 per kg but sold at Rs150 per kg. Garlic Chinese rate was fixed at Rs280 to Rs290 per kg, but sold at Rs320 to Rs360 per kg.

Ginger Chinese price was reduced by Rs 20 per kg and fixed at Rs300 to Rs310 per kg, but was not sold in the market. Ginger, Thai, rate was cut by Rs20 per kg and fixed at Rs270 to Rs280 per kg, but sold at Rs320 to Rs360 per kg.

Brinjal price was reduced by Rs5 per kg and fixed at Rs28 to Rs30 per kg, but sold at Rs50 per kg.

Cucumber, farm, rate was decreased by Rs6 per kg and fixed at Rs22 to Rs24 per kg, but sold at Rs30 to Rs40 per kg.

Bitter gourd rate was reduced by Rs35 per kg and fixed at Rs115 to Rs120 per kg, but sold at Rs200 per kg.

Spinach, local, price was increased by Rs 3 per kg and fixed at Rs26 to Rs28 per kg while spinach, farm, rate was fixed at Rs 21 to Rs23 per kg, both sold at Rs40 to Rs50 per kg.

Zucchini, long, rate was fixed at Rs18 to Rs20 per kg; zucchini, round, price was fixed at Rs23 to Rs25 per kg, both sold at Rs40 per kg.

The price of lemon Chinese was increased by Rs10 per kg and fixed at Rs65 to Rs70 per kg, but sold at Rs 140 per kg.

Cauliflower price was fixed at Rs23 to Rs25 per kg, but sold at Rs 40 per kg. Cabbage rate was fixed at Rs22 to Rs24 per kg, but sold at Rs60 per kg.

Pumpkin price was reduced by Rs3 per kg and fixed at Rs35 to Rs37 per kg, but sold at Rs50 per kg.

Lady finger rate was reduced by Rs15 per kg and fixed at Rs145 to Rs150 per kg, but sold at Rs200 per kg.

Arum rate was fixed at Rs85 to Rs90 per kg, but was not sold. Green chili price was fixed at Rs85 to Rs100 per kg, but sold at Rs120 to Rs160 per kg.

Capsicum price was raised by Rs10 per kg and fixed at Rs105 to Rs110 per kg, but sold at Rs140 per kg. The price of pea was increased by Rs7 per kg and fixed at Rs38 to Rs40 per kg, mixed peas sold at Rs50 per kg. Carrot, local, rate was increased by Rs4 per kg and fixed at Rs28 to Rs30 per kg, but sold at Rs50 per kg.

Coriander price was fixed at Rs35 to Rs40 per kg, but sold at Rs100 per kg.

Beans were sold at Rs240 per kg while no official rate was issued for the vegetable.

Methi rate was fixed at Rs24 to Rs26 per kg, but sold at Rs 50 per kg. Turnip rate was fixed at Rs16 to Rs18 per kg, but sold at Rs 30 per kg. Mustard leaf rate was fixed at Rs28 to Rs30 per kg, but not sold. Radish price was fixed at Rs16 to Rs18 per kg, but was sold at Rs30 per kg.

Beetroot rate was fixed at Rs35 to Rs40 per kg, but sold at Rs60 per kg.

Green gram was sold at Rs Rs160 to Rs200 per kg.

The prices of different varieties of apples were fixed at Rs58 to Rs185 per kg where B-grade apple sold at Rs90 to Rs150 per kg and A-grade was sold at Rs 200 to Rs230 per kg.

The price of Banana A-category was fixed at Rs150 to Rs155 per dozen, but it was not available and B-category rate was fixed at Rs85 to Rs90 per dozen, but sold at Rs90 to Rs100 per dozen.

Papaya price was fixed at Rs105 to Rs110 per kg, but sold at Rs150 per kg.

Pomegranate, Bedana, price was fixed at Rs350 to Rs355 per kg, but sold at Rs 500 per kg. The price for pomegranate, Danadar, price was fixed at Rs220 to Rs225 per kg, but sold at Rs300 to Rs350 per kg.

Grapes, Irani, price was fixed at Rs210 to Rs215 per kg, but not sold. Guava rate was fixed at Rs53 to Rs55 per kg, but sold at Rs80 to Rs100 per kg.

Sweet potato price was fixed at Rs40 to Rs42 per kg, but sold at Rs60 per kg.

Grapefruit price was fixed at Rs18 to Rs20 per piece, but lower quality grapefruit sold at Rs 20 per piece.

Musami rate was fixed Rs105 to Rs125 per dozen but lower grade sold at Rs150 per dozen and A-grade was not available.

Kinow, special, price was fixed at Rs245 to Rs250 per dozen, but sold at Rs300 per dozen. Kinow, A-grade, rate was fixed at Rs120 to Rs145 per dozen, but sold at Rs 160 to Rs180 per dozen. B-grade Know rate was fixed at Rs55 to Rs105 per dozen, but sold at Rs130 per dozen. Malta (sweet) price was fixed at Rs105 to Rs125 per dozen, but sold at Rs150 per dozen. Strawberry price was fixed at Rs95 to Rs100 per kg, but was not available. B-grade strawberry rate was fixed at Rs50 to Rs55 per kg, but sold at Rs 120 per kg. Sapodilla (Cheku) rate was fixed at Rs 100 to Rs105 per kg, but not sold. Dates, Irani, rate was fixed at Rs215 to Rs220 per kg, but sold at Rs200 to Rs500 per kg.