Vegetable prices surge despite no flood impact

Consumers struggle as traders exploit flood rumors to hike prices

KARACHI:

Vegetable sellers in Karachi have allegedly started hiking prices exorbitantly, using the recent floods as a pretext — despite the fact that neither Sindh's agricultural areas were affected nor were any major roads submerged. Even warehouses stocked with dry vegetables and spices have seen prices skyrocket.

Vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and tomatoes are being sold at rates two to three times higher than the government-set prices. Consumers report that despite a significant drop in chicken prices, vegetables remain outrageously expensive. It seems that profiteers have seized the flood situation as an excuse to unjustifiably increase prices.

The price hike in Karachi's vegetable markets continues unabated. Tomatoes are not available for less than three hundred rupees per kilogram, with other vegetables also reaching sky-high prices. Customers are baffled as to why the impact of the floods is most visible in Karachi's markets, even though local harvests and imports from Iran have ensured ample supply.

Tomatoes that sold for 80 rupees per kilogram just weeks ago are now being sold for over 300 rupees. Despite this, profiteering persists unabated. The city administration has failed to enforce official price limits on vegetables.

Consumers, burdened by inflation, urge government representatives to visit markets themselves and witness the reality behind claims of falling prices.