The prices of vegetables and fruits inflated before Eid ul Azha in Sunday bazaars as a price hike of around 30 to 40 percent was seen in the bazaars on Sunday. It is possible that the prices of vegetables would hike further in days to come. In vegetables, the prices of onion, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, ginger, spinach and carrot increased. The prices of eggplants, green chillies and lemons lowered while the prices of ladyfingers and peas were the same. In fruits, the prices of apples, bananas and pears increased and the prices of grapes lowered while the price of pomegranates was the same. The prices of onions had been increasing for two weeks and this Sunday, a further price hike was witnessed. The price of onions increased by Rs 10 per kilogramme (kg) and they were sold for Rs 48 per kg. The price of potatoes increased by Rs 3 per kg and they were available for Rs 35 per kg.
The price of spinach increased by Rs 10 per kg and it was sold at Rs 35 per kg. The price of apples increased by Rs 5 per kg and they were sold for Rs 95 per kg. The price of bananas and pears also hiked by Rs 10 and bananas were sold for Rs 45 per dozen and pears were available for Rs 65 per kg. The price of chicken also increased and it was sold for Rs 165 per kg, whereas, last week it was sold for Rs 160 per kg. Consumers said profiteers were active in the market and before Eid-ul-Azha, they were increasing the prices of onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic. A housewife, Tabina Tariq, said the vegetables used during Eid-ul-Azha saw a price hike and the profiteers were ripping people off their money by inflating vegetable prices.
She suggested the government should check the price hikes. Another customer, Abdul Hameed, said during Ramadan and around Eid-ul-Azha, these exploitative profiteers managed to earn large amounts and the government fixed the prices at higher rates instead of taking action against these price hikes. Meanwhile, the city district government fined some shopkeepers for selling sub-standard products and collected Rs 9,500 from different Sunday bazaars.
