Lahore:
The Punjab government has returned to its previous mechanism to fix the prices of live chicken as well as meat following the failure of an alternative system aimed at stabilizing poultry prices.
However, as in the past, the application remains low and the official price lists continue to be widely ignored in the province’s markets.
Milk sellers have also increased prices unilaterally, rates increasing from RS20 per liter and curd prices increasing from RS20 to Rs30 per kilogram in recent days.
This week, the official living chicken rate was set between RS249 and RS263 per kg, but many sellers refused to comply. Chicken meat was officially at the price of RS381, but it was commonly sold between RS480 and RS530 per kg, with boned chicken reaching up to Rs1,000.
Vegetables have also experienced significant price disparities. Potatoes with soft skin of quality A, officially from RS55 to RS60, were sold at Rs120 to Rs140 per kg. The B and C-Grade varieties were at RS35 to RS50, but mixed potatoes sold to Rs100 per kg. Potatoes without sugar had equally wide differences between official prices and the market.
Quality A onions were officially at the price of RS35 to RS40, but sold to Rs80. Grade B onions were listed at RS27 to RS30 and C-Grade to RS22 to RS25, but mixed varieties obtained RS50 to RS60.
Tomatoes have also experienced price increases, with quality has set at RS35 to Rs40 but selling up to Rs100 per kg. The prices of garlic and ginger have considerably exceeded the official rates, with local garlic at the price of RS176 to Rs185 but selling for RS250 to RS300, and Chinese garlic set at Rs248 but at detail for RS400.
Thai ginger, set at RS525 to RS550, was sold at Rs650 to Rs700 per kg.
Other vegetables such as brinjal, bitter gourd, spinach, zucchini and lemon have also shown large gaps between official and real market rates.
Fruits have also experienced excessive prices. The varieties of apples, officially listed between RS270 and RS430 per kg, sold to Rs800. Banana prices have also been inflated; Quality has, officially RS180 to Rs200 by dozen, reached Rs350 by dozen.
The dates remained officially at the price of RS430 to RS460, but were sold for Rs900 to Rs2,000. The papaya, fixed at RS352 to RS370, reached RS400, while the melons, the watermelons and the Cantaloups have all sold well above their fixed rates.
Summer fruits such as peaches, phalsa, apricots, mangoes, cherries and plums have also shown significant differences. The peaches, fixed between RS160 and RS250, were sold to Rs350, while Phalsa went from RS300 to Rs400. Apricots, at the official price of RS230 to RS240, went to RS450 per kg.
The mangoes experienced retail prices of up to 400 rupees per kg despite a fixed beach from RS230 to Rs270.
Meanwhile, the Punjab prices secretary and the management of raw materials, Dr. Ehsan Bhutta, announced that the Sahut bazaars would be established in every Tehsil in the province next year.
He declared during a visit to a newly offset fruits and vegetable market in Sheikhupura that essential products would be available at cheap prices with good quality throughout the year.
He said 13 new markets would be opened in August by the Sahut Bazaar Authority.
The development came while the question of the change in fruits and vegetable markets in the city of Sheikhupura at the newly notified location has been resolved and all the stores have moved.
The first auction took place and the service would continue on the new market every day. The market and municipal committees have deployed their staff to solve the problems facing suppliers. Police were also deployed for security.
The secretary checked all the stores, the auction of different fruits and vegetables. He ordered staff to provide drinking water, safety and lighting to facilitate traders.
