Fruits, vegetables prices surge by 30-50 per cent

LAHORE - The prices of most of the fruits and vegetables have surged by 30 to 50 per cent here in the Punjab Capital during one week ahead of holy month of Ramazan, as the market sources hinted further increase in the food prices in the days to come.

The fruits and vegetable market sources said the increasing transportation cost and rising demand as compared to the supply are the major factors behind the increase in the prices of fruits and vegetables as the demand of both the food items soared to a reasonable extent during Ramazan.

“Every year the prices of fruits and vegetables shoot up ahead of Ramazan because the market dealers start selling food items on high prices to the vendors. Consequently, the vendors are left with no other option but to charge high price from the consumers,” Imdad Khan a vendor said.

He further said the poor check of the authorities concerned was the main reason behind the price-hike. “The market committee officials and the other departments check and impose fine only on vendors while they should also check the brokers and dealers to control the prices, he maintained.

Another vendor, Bashir Sultan said that the dealers in the fruits and vegetable markets were creating artificial shortage of food items in the market to increase the prices. He said that the leading brokers were hoarding the fruits and vegetables in the cold storages to earn huge profit during Ramazan when both the fruits and vegetables are in high demand.