Caterers make quick silver as free iftar distribution peaks

Food vendors increase prices on pretext of gas tariff hike and pricey poultry

KARACHI:

The first Ramazan after two consecutive Covid years has seen caterers doing roaring business in shape of free distribution of food on iftar.

Iftar is an integral part of breaking the fast in Ramazan, so is the desire of people to help someone break the fast, a wayfarer, traveler, neighbour, relative or friend or in case of Karachi, people who could not reach home in time for iftar.

As per people in catering business, while there are very few weddings in Ramazan, philanthropists prepare and distribute chicken biryani and qorma for Iftar for the needy.

Post corona lockdown, the caterers said, there has been a 50 per cent increase in the food and catering market for the 'dastarkhawan' food distribution during Ramazan.

Compared to the last two years, this year's inflation, the cost has increased by 40% during the fasting month. Due to Covid, limited public dinners were organised in mosques and public places during the last two years because of social-distancing orders.

The hues and colours of the month of Ramazan were almost non-existent in Karachi because people could not openly arrange Iftar for the poor and needy people.

This year, they said, the hustle and bustle of Ramazan has been restored with the end of Covid restrictions. Abu Bakar Gulzar, the owner of the Catering Center at Muhammad Ali Society, told The Express Tribune that catering and food centres business has increased by 50% due to the city's revival of traditional Iftar dinners. Gulzar said that most of the orders in Ramazan are for food distribution for Iftar dinner.

"We are receiving biryani, qorma and zarda rice orders for food distribution services called dastarkhawan," Gulzar added that people had reduced their beef consumption due to certain diseases in cattle. There have been more orders for chicken biryani and qorma in Ramazan.

Gulzar added that the price of chicken has gone up due to a shortage of beef. "We reduced our profit by 50% out of respect for Ramazan." Poultry demand is high, and supply is low, making it difficult to fulfil orders. Chicken meat sellers are selling chicken at Rs. 430 to 450 per kg.

Owners of catering and cooking centres have to buy expensive chicken due to daily fluctuations in chicken prices. He said that due to an increase in gas tariff, prices of spices, groceries, meat and edible oil, the cost per 10 kg pot(daig) has increased by 35 to 40 per cent.

Gulzar said that food vendors are selling a 10kgs chicken biryani daig at Rs11,500, chicken qorma at Rs9,500, and beef biryani pot at Rs18,000. A 5kgs daig of potato meat curry (Aloo-Gosht) has gone up to Rs12,000.

Gulzar added that since there are no wedding ceremonies during the month of Ramadan, the business activities of the food centres are limited to the activities related to the month of Ramadan. Kashif Khan, an owner of a food centre, informed that people booked food orders before Ramadan.

Besides the chicken biryani, food vendors sell potato and gram (chickpea) biryani in Ramadan. A 10kgs pot of potatoes and gram (Aloo-Chana) costs Rs7,500.

In addition, food centre owners serve orders for biryani shops and stalls across the city before Iftar. Shariq Khan, one of the organisers of the public dinner, said that in addition to the public dinner and mosques, we prepare biryani boxes in Ramazan, which contain chicken potato biryani. Philanthropists prepare and distribute packs ranging from Rs130 to Rs150 in slums and on the streets before Iftar.