Holidays trigger massive price surge

RAWALPINDI:

Closure of wholesale markets, major fruit and vegetable shops, and roadside stalls during the Eid holidays sent prices of fruits and vegetables soaring across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

With barbecue preparations in full swing at homes during Eidul Azha, the prices of charcoal, skewers and grills also doubled. Due to the closure of shops and carts, local lemons were sold at Rs400 per kg, tomatoes at Rs100 per kg, green coriander at Rs50 to Rs70 per bunch, radish at Rs70 per kg, green chilies at Rs130 per kg and mint at Rs15 per bunch.

Fruit prices also remained completely out of control, with bananas being sold at Rs250 to Rs300 per dozen, watermelon at Rs50 per kg, mangoes at Rs350 per kg, musk melon at Rs170 per kg, loquat at Rs250 per kg, apples at Rs300 to Rs400 per kg, cantaloupe at Rs200 per kg and apricots at Rs300 per kg.

For barbecue preparations, charcoal was sold at Rs100 per kg, barbecue skewers at Rs500 per dozen, while small grills were sold for Rs300 and large grills for Rs500. Due to the closure of chicken shops and limited supply, chicken meat was sold at Rs750 per kg, while soft drink bottles were being sold at Rs250 each.

President of the Vegetable Market Traders Association, Ghulam Qadir Mir, said price hikes during Eid were a routine matter because wholesale supplies remained suspended and wholesale markets stayed closed. He added that small fruit and vegetable vendors, shopkeepers and hawkers also observed holidays during Eid.

He said wholesale fruit and vegetable markets and other trading markets would reopen from Saturday, May 30, after which the temporary increase in prices was expected to ease. Due to the closure of shops and carts, citizens had to travel to distant markets to purchase vegetables, fruits, ghee and cooking oil.