LAHORE: To the citizens’ great relief, prices of vegetables have reduced significantly following the clearance of smog in the city.
With abundant supplies arriving from Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, prices of vegetables such as green peas, cauliflower, carrot, green chilli and leafy vegetables have dropped in the city.
The price of green peas, for example, has come down from Rs150, from a week ago, to Rs100 in the retail market. Cauliflower is being sold at a price as low as Rs40 per kilogramme, while leafy vegetables like coriander, spinach and methi are selling at prices between Rs20 and Rs30 per kg. Munguray are priced somewhere between Rs70 and Rs90.
In the wholesale market, the prices are even lower, with cauliflower selling at a rate of Rs20 per kg and green chillies selling at Rs60. Retailers add labour prices and transportation costs to these prices before selling them in the market to consumers.
Commenting on the situation, market committee inspector Riaz Bhatti said that the prices of vegetables had decreased because of the clearance of fog and smog. Trucks which were getting stuck because of the weather condition earlier have started to arrive and deliver vegetables to the wholesale market, he added.
“An increase in the arrival of winter vegetables due to harvest season is another reason for the fall in prices of vegetables. Winter vegetable crops in Punjab have started to arrive in markets,” Riaz said. “Customers can get the same vegetables for Rs200 as they were getting for Rs300 last week.”
He also expressed hope that more rains would further decrease the prices of vegetables in the market, as they would further help to clear smog.
Trader Muhammad Afzal said that both wholesale and retail prices of vegetables have come down and that these prices would likely stay until April of next year. “The prices of most vegetables have come down by 30 percent as supplies from other provinces have improved after the clearing of the weather,” he said.
On the other hand, the prices of tomatoes and onions, which are a staple in almost every kitchen, continue to remain high in the retail market. The current prices of tomatoes have soared up to Rs150 per kg in retail markets and are likely to remain so for at least two months. Onions are being sold at Rs80 per kg in the retail market.
According to wholesaler traders, the prices have increased due to a reduction in the supply of tomatoes and onions from other provinces.
