Rains spur fruit, veg prices

Consumers remain at mercy of vendors defying official rates

LAHORE:

Ongoing monsoon rains have severely impacted the supply chain of perishable commodities across the provincial capital, triggering sharp price hikes in fruits, vegetables and poultry.

Citizens are grappling with soaring prices as traders continue to overcharge in open defiance of government rate lists.

Market visits reveal widespread non-compliance with official price notifications. Consumers remain at the mercy of street vendors, greengrocers, and shopkeepers who are selling essential food items well above officially sanctioned rates.

Poultry prices have seen a steep rise this week. The official rate for live chicken stood between Rs384 and Rs398 per kilogramme, but vendors charged between Rs450 and Rs480. Chicken meat, officially priced at Rs577 per kg, was being sold at Rs650 to Rs690, while boneless chicken exceeded Rs1,050.

Vegetables have also recorded significant price surges. Potatoes, saw A-grade soft skin varieties fixed at Rs80-85 per kg but sold at Rs140–150. B and C-grade were priced at Rs70-75 and Rs60-65, respectively, while mixed quality was available at Rs120-130 per kg. The sugar-free variety ranged from Rs35 to Rs65 per kg but was being sold well above the notified rates.

Onions and tomatoes followed similar trends. A-grade onions, fixed at Rs45-50, were being sold at Rs80-100. Tomatoes, with official prices set at Rs70-75 for A-grade, were sold at nearly double.

Garlic and ginger prices fluctuated, with local garlic selling for Rs280-300 per kg despite an official rate of Rs190-200. Imported ginger varieties such as Thai and Chinese were sold between Rs600-700, well above the Rs400-475 rate ceiling.

Other vegetables like brinjal, bitter gourd, spinach, zucchini, pumpkin, ladyfinger, arum, and capsicum all witnessed significant price gains — often ranging from Rs20 to Rs80 per kilogramme above official notifications. Peas peaked at Rs500 per kg, while beetroot was being sold at Rs400.

Fruit prices were similarly inflated. Apples, officially fixed between Rs240 and Rs450 per kilogramme depending on variety, were being sold at up to Rs800. Bananas ranged from Rs90 to Rs210 per dozen officially, but were sold at Rs150 to Rs350. Mangoes, papayas, peaches, grapes, cherries, and plums also saw price hikes of Rs20 to Rs60 per kg, with litchis sold at up to Rs1,000 per kg despite being fixed at Rs535-560.

Several consumers expressed frustration over the unchecked profiteering and urged authorities to restore price control mechanisms before the situation worsens.

Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management Chairman Khawaja Salman Rafique visited the PDMA head office and reviewed the weather situation. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert to the administration across Punjab regarding monsoon rains.

Cloudy and humid weather prevailed in Lahore on Sunday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasting similar conditions and chances of scattered rain over the next 24 hours.

The PMD issued a warning for heavy-to-very-heavy rains overnight and on Monday possibly triggering flash floods in local streams and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, northeastern Punjab and other regions.

Urban flooding is also likely in low-lying areas of Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera, and Peshawar.

According to the PMD, monsoon currents from both the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are entering the country, and a strong westerly wave is also expected to hit upper and central parts of the country.

With additional input from APP