Floods disrupt food supply to metropolis

Poultry, vegetable, fruit prices on the rise

LAHORE:

Heavy rains and flooding across Punjab have disrupted the food supplies to Lahore, leaving wholesale markets short of key perishable items and triggering sharp poultry, vegetable and fruit price hikes.

Consumers complained that the shortage has not only reduced the availability of fresh produce but also pushed the quality down, with many items arriving damaged or in smaller quantities. Weakness of government monitoring and enforcement has allowed retailers to charge well above the official prices, deepening frustration among buyers already coping with rising costs of living.

Traders in major wholesale markets said truckloads of vegetables and fruits could not reach Lahore due to road closures and damaged routes from flood-affected areas. The reduced inflow meant fewer choices for wholesalers and retailers who passed on the cost increases to consumers.

Poultry was among the hardest-hit categories. Live chicken, officially priced between Rs397 and Rs411 per kilogramme, was sold to customers at Rs500 to Rs530. Chicken meat, which had a fixed rate of Rs595 per kg, fetched between Rs650 and Rs750 in retail shops, while boneless chicken was sold for as high as Rs1,200 against the notified Rs1,100 ceiling.

Vegetables saw widespread increases as well. Potatoes with soft skin rose by Rs5 to Rs85 to Rs90 per kilogramme on the official list but retailed at Rs150. Lower-grade potatoes were fixed at Rs55 to Rs75 yet sold for up to Rs130.

Onions were officially priced between Rs65 and Rs70 per kg, though most retailers charged Rs100 to Rs120. Tomatoes climbed by Rs20 to Rs120 but were sold at nearly double.

Garlic, listed at Rs205 to Rs215 per kg, was sold at Rs300, while the Harnai variety increased to Rs282 to Rs295 but was retailed at Rs400. Ginger, fixed between Rs395 and Rs465, fetched Rs600 to Rs700 in markets.

Other common vegetables, including bitter gourd, brinjal, zucchini, luffa, capsicum, cauliflower, pumpkin and ladyfinger, also recorded price jumps of Rs20 to Rs40 per kg above the official notification.

Only spinach and Chinese carrots showed slight reductions, but even these retailed at higher-than-fixed prices.

Fruit markets also reflected a similar imbalance. Apples, bananas, guavas, peaches and plums remained unchanged on the government list, yet retailers demanded substantially higher rates. Mangoes of various varieties rose by Rs50 per kg, fixed at Rs210 to Rs310, but sold at between Rs200 and Rs450. Grapes of the Sundarkhani variety gained Rs10, with official rates set at Rs440 to Rs460, but were sold at Rs500 to Rs600. Dates, officially priced between Rs470 and Rs 500, fetched anywhere between Rs900 and Rs2,000 depending on quality. Persimmons, fixed at Rs168 to Rs175 per kilogramme, retailed at nearly double, from Rs300 to Rs350.

Shoppers across the city voiced anger over the unchecked profiteering. Many said authorities had failed to ensure compliance with price lists displayed in markets. "The price control teams are nowhere to be seen," said one consumer, Ali Ahmad, in Shadman Market. "Every vendor is charging what he wants, and there is no one to stop them."

Market observers noted that the convergence of natural disruption and weak enforcement has left consumers vulnerable to exploitation. With floodwaters hindering transport routes and forecasts of more rain, traders expect the supply chain disruptions to persist in the coming weeks.

Economists warn that prolonged shortages of fresh produce could add to broader inflationary pressures already weighing heavily on urban households.