Prices of essential commodities increase by 30 percent

Tuesday June 30, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The prices of vegetables, fruits and pulses have increased by 20-30 percent after the announcement of the current budget, claimed traders community of local market. Talking to Business Recorder here on Monday traders revealed that prices of essential commodities including vegetables, fruits and pulses have gone up as much as by 20-30 percent.

Traders said that the price of Nido milk has gone up from Rs 360 to Rs 390 per kg. Similarly the prices of Mash Pulse, Moong Pulse, Masoor Pulse and Gram Pulse have gone up by Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg. Prices of tomato have gone up from Rs 25 to Rs 40 per kg, Prices of onion has witnessed an increase of Rs 10 per kg as prices has gone up from Rs 20 to Rs 30 per kg and prices of lady finger has gone up from Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg.

On the other hand the prices of fruits have also witnessed an increase of 10 to 20 percent. The prices of mango have gone up to Rs 60 per kg from Rs 45 per kg. Traders opined that ongoing military operation in Malakand division is also considered to be one of the reasons behind the raise in fruits and vegetable prices.

Pakistanis have been grumbling about rising inflation for more than a year but in the past few days the sticker shock has grown much worse. Vegetables and fruits prices have jumped that now it is going out of reach of the poor segment of the society.

The people of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have termed it an artificial shortage by the wholesalers and retailers who are looting the innocent people with both hands some time on the name of short of supply and some time on the electricity and gas loadshedding. Ahmad Ali a resident of the Abpara told this scribe that we were told that due to law and order situation number of check posts has been increased and it is going difficult to meet the purchase orders and due to which some of the items are going short in the market.


(BRecorder)