Rampant price gouging in Ramazan

Meat, fruit and vegetable sellers openly flout official rate lists

KARACHI:

The prices of fresh fruits have skyrocketed with the start of Ramazan as vendors flagrantly flout an official rate list issued by Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon for the holy month.

A market survey by The Express Tribune showed that hardly any push-cart vendor and shopkeeper displayed the official rate list and sold fruits at arbitrary prices. The official rate list has set the price of bananas (grade 1) at Rs173 per dozen, but it is being sold at Rs250 and above. Banana (grade 2) is available at Rs200 per dozen, while the official rate is listed as Rs153.

Similarly, papaya (grade 1) should be sold at Rs133 per kg as per the official rate list, but it is being sold at Rs250 per kg in the market. Papaya (grade 2) is available at Rs180 to Rs200 per kg, while its official rate is Rs118 per kg.

The Karachi commissioner has fixed the price of guava at Rs108 per kg, but you cannot find it for less than Rs150 per kg in the market. As per the official rate list, local golden apple (grade 1) should be sold at Rs192 per kg and grade 2 at Rs172, but it is available in the market for Rs250 and Rs200 respectively.

Officially, melon (grade 1) should be sold at Rs93 per kg and grade 2 at Rs73, but it is being sold in the city for Rs200 per kg (grade 1) and at Rs120 to Rs140 per kg (grade 2). Similarly, watermelon’s official rate is Rs153 per kg, but it is not available for less than Rs180 in the city.

As per official rate list, Iranian dates (grade 1) should be sold at Rs403 per kg and Rs383 for grade 2, but retailers are selling them at Rs550 to Rs600 per kg.

Meanwhile, Sindh Food Authority’s Director General Agha Fakhar has warned that strict action would be taken against those found involved in adulteration of food items during the holy month of Ramazan.

He said in a statement that the Sindh Food Authority has formed special teams to maintain quality of food items during the fasting month. He requested the people related to business of food items to respect the holy month and provide the public with quality food products free from adulteration.

Meat prices

The price of beef has been fixed at Rs600 per kg while boneless beef has been set at Rs700 per kg. However, beef is selling at Rs650 to Rs700, while the boneless variation is available for Rs850 per kg.

Similarly, the official price of heifer meat has been fixed at Rs750 per kg but it selling at Rs900 per kg. Meanwhile, the boneless variety is priced at Rs900 but it is selling at over Rs1,000 per kg.

The commissioner fixed the price of mutton at Rs1,400 per kg. However, since the last one year, mutton has been selling at Rs1,700 to 1,800 per kg. It has now reached Rs2,000 per kg.

The official price of chicken meat has been set at Rs570 per kg, but chicken meat is being sold at a minimum of Rs650 per kg across the city.

Other commodities that see an uptick in use during the month have also seen similar increase. Besan (or gram flour) is selling at Rs240 per kg, white chickpea is for Rs400 per kg, while dates are selling for Rs500 per kg.

Illegal slaughtering

Butchers have taken to slaughtering animals outside the shops where they sell meat in violation of city laws. There is no system to verify the health of animals and government slaughterhouses are closed where meat quality is checked by the government.

The meat from such butchers’ costs comparatively less than those from government slaughterhouses, which is tempting for inflation-hit consumers despite the concerns over quality.

The butchers in district Central are the major offenders in this regard, with buffalo calves being slaughtered along with sick and emaciated animals.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2023.