Fruit buyers pay for border closure

Following the closure of the Afghan border amid escalating tensions with the neighbouring country, fruit and vegetable prices have sharply increased across Punjab, particularly in major urban centres.

The disruption in the supply of key produce — including grapes and pomegranates from Afghanistan and apples and tomatoes from Iran — has led to widespread shortages and price hikes in local markets.

The situation has been aggravated by a decision of the district administration to abolish the grade-wise price announcement mechanism, a move that has drawn criticism from both vendors and consumers.

Under the previous system, the market committee issued separate rates for A, B, and C-grade produce — particularly for commonly consumed items such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas, guavas, and pomegranates.

However, from this week, the committee has shifted to issuing a single rate for each item, effectively removing the grade distinction.

This policy change has opened another avenue for profiteering, as vendors are reportedly selling lower-grade items at premium A-grade prices. Consumers have complained that even substandard produce is being sold at inflated rates, while higher-grade items are priced 20 to 50 per cent above the officially fixed prices.

In the week's price list, several essential commodities recorded notable fluctuations. The price of live chicken rose by Rs5 per kilogram to Rs289-303, though it was largely unavailable at these rates. Chicken meat increased by Rs 6per kilogram, fixed at Rs439 but sold between Rs489 and Rs560, while boneless chicken was sold at Rs680-750 per kg.

Soft skin potato was fixed at Rs85-90 but sold for Rs130-150, while onions surged by Rs17 to Rs100-105 per kg but retailed at Rs120-150.

Tomato prices continued to spiral, officially listed at Rs 167-185 but sold at up to Rs500 per kg in some areas.

Garlic and ginger — staple kitchen ingredients — saw extreme discrepancies.