Supply disruption: Vegetable prices shoot up

Market observers hint at further upswing in prices as floods have hit crop.

ISLAMABAD: The retail vegetables prices have shot up in the twin cities as the wholesale market has witnessed a shot supply in the wake of rain-induced floods across the country.

Traders and market observers have hinted at further upswing in prices of leafy vegetables including tomato in coming days due to tight supplies in the wholesale market.

“Since a large part of supply has been hampered, the prices may shoot up further,” said a retailer while attributing the shortage and high prices to excessive rainfall in the past two weeks.

According to traders, the crop has badly been waterlogged by recent rains and floods that have almost played havoc with the agricultural land in Punjab and Sindh — the main soil for growing of crops including vegetables.

The price of tomato, which is mostly used as a vegetable or in salad, has been going up since the start of monsoon season.

A market survey revealed that tomato was being sold at Rs72 per kg in Sunday bazaars, which was available at Rs64 in Sunday markets last week. The same commodity is being sold at Rs80 to Rs100 per kg in the open market.

Similarly, okra (lady finger), which was available at Rs40 per kg last week, is being sold at Rs54 per kg. Rates of bitter gourd have soared to Rs54 per kg from Rs46 per kg last week. Indian apple gourd (tinda) is being sold at Rs50 per kg, which was available at Rs36 per kg the previous week. The prices of other leafy vegetables including spinach, green coriander, mint etc has also soared in the local market during the last one week.

Similarly, prices of pulses including channa, mash, kabuli channa (gram chick peas) and black gram have also gone up during the last six months.

Market observers and traders, however, could not give a plausible explanation for the rising prices of pulses.

Mash, which was available at Rs140 per kg six months ago, is being sold at Rs180 per kg.

Channa was available at Rs60 to Rs70 per kg last year, is being sold at Rs105 to Rs110 per kg in the retail market.

Kabuli channa and black gram are being sold at Rs105 and Rs110 per kg in local the retail market while the same commodity was available at Rs70 during the last year.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2015.