LAHORE – Despite last week’s increase in petroleum prices, vegetable prices remained stable while fruit prices rose at Sunday bazaars. Vendors said they were nticipating a possible price increase next week. They also said that sales increased due to first Sunday of the week and less prices. Vegetable vendors said vegetables prices were stable due to better supplies from the farms. Green Town Sunday bazaar vegetable seller Muhammad Akram said, “Increases in petroleum prices do increase transportation expenditures.
However vegetable prices remained stable because of better supplies from the farms.” He said the prices of onions, tomatoes and potatoes had dropped significantly over the last one month. “The prices of onions and tomatoes were double a month ago but now better farm production has caused a price decline,” he added. Vendor Javed Asghar said due to low prices and first week of the month, sales remained higher than on other days.
“Whenever vegetable prices increased people purchased fewer products which resulted in a profit decrease during past weeks but this week prices declined and our sales increased,” he added. The customers were happy over the vegetable price decrease. However, they showed displeasure over lack of cleanliness in different bazaars and said garbage heaps caused inconvenience during shopping.
“There was a heap of garbage in the bazaar and administration was least bothered about removing it,” said Shalimar Sunday Bazaar customer Fahad Ikram, adding it had become routine for people to leave rotten vegetables on the ground without anybody removing them. Housewife Shazia Majeed said low vegetable prices helped reduce the kitchen budget.
“The lower prices of onion, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes and ginger helped to maintain kitchen budget but as soon as these vegetables get expensive, things will get worse,” she added. Fruit prices increased slightly but chicken prices remained stable.
