ISLAMABAD: Due to the destruction of crops due to floods in Balochistan and Sindh and reduced supply in the markets, the prices of tomatoes in the Karachi market have increased sharply and the price of one kilo of tomato has increased to Rs 480 while the price of onion has gone up to Rs 200 per kilo .
According to media reports, due to recent rains and floods, onion and tomato prices have increased by Rs 60 to Rs 90 per kg and their prices have reached Rs 110 and Rs 150 per kg.
Since July this year, due to heavy rains and floods in Balochistan and Sindh, crops have been destroyed due to bad roads and the supply in the markets has decreased.
The prices of vegetables are expected to rise further in the coming days due to shortage of supply due to flood situation in both the provinces.
Retailers are also taking advantage of the situation by selling old stock at double the price.
The recent inflation has also affected the consumers who are worried about further increase in the prices of vegetables especially onions and tomatoes in the coming days.
Due to the increase in the prices of various daily items, many consumers have also reduced their daily purchases, in such a situation only potatoes are being sold at Rs 60 to 50 per kg which is within the purchasing power of the people.
Prices of other vegetables
Chilli is selling at Rs 320 per kg, Gourd at Rs 200 per kg and Turai at Rs 160 per kg, while the price of cabbage has reached Rs 240 per kg, besides cucumbers at Rs 200 per kg, coriander and mint at Rs. Gudi is Rs 30 while okra is being sold at Rs 250 to 320 per kg.
Haji Shahjahan, President of Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Sabzi Mandi Superhighway, said that the arrival of tomatoes and onions in Balochistan has been limited to 10% while damage to crops, standing floodwaters and roads from Balochistan to Karachi have been affected. Due to heavy losses, only 30% of goods in Sindh are reaching the wholesale market.
Abdul Hameed, a farmer from Marah, Union Council of Sorab District, Balochistan, claimed that only 10 percent of onions and tomatoes are reaching Karachi, mainly because 90 percent of farmers’ crops have been damaged due to heavy rains and floods.
He said that due to floods and rains, the houses of the farmers have also been severely damaged.
“We have not received any help to rebuild houses,” Abdul Hameed said, referring to the prices of urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) urea bags, which cost Rs 2,400 and Rs 12,000 for 50 kg bags respectively. 1,780 and 6,000 rupees respectively last year, the major reason for the increase being the record increase in labor and transportation of goods.
Vicky Jaipal, a vegetable farmer in Sindh’s Nagarparkar and Tando Ullahyar, said that the rains and floods have destroyed 75 percent of the vegetable crops in Sindh’s areas, leaving only 25 percent which is being transported to Karachi.
He said that the farmers in many areas are waiting for the land to dry after which efforts will be made to rebuild their houses.
The new crop of onion and tomato usually comes in September to October, but many farmers are trying again to grow new seeds, but this too is likely to be delayed.
He said that import of tomato and onion from neighboring countries can help in solving any serious food crisis.
