Food prices up ahead of Eid

Another vendor, Shabbir Ahmed 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 Eid days when both the fruits and vegetables are in high demand.

Ironically, the vendors are selling fruits and vegetables at different rates in different parts of the City, thanks to the poor control of the authorities concerned. The prices of fruits and vegetables registered a surging trend during the last couple of days in the City.

Chicken meat is being sold at Rs 150 per-kg while the mutton has also registered an increase of Rs 50 per-kg and is being sold at Rs 300 per-kg against its fixed price of Rs 250 per-kg.

Believe it or not, the tomato price on Monday jumped to Rs 80 per-kg from Rs 40. The vegetable market dealers said that the supply of tomato is insufficient to meet the demand. “Actually we are importing tomato from India and the prices have surged due to the increasing transportation cost,” a vegetable dealer said.

The rates of potato (new) also increased by Rs 15 per kilogram. Potato is being sold at Rs 35 per-kg to Rs 40 per kilogram as compared to the last week price of Rs 20 to Rs 24 per kilogram.