Lahore:
In other parts of Punjab, including Lahore, the prices of vegetables and fruits have increased significantly, while in Balochistan and Sindh, due to the destruction of crops due to floods and reduced supply in the markets, it is expected to increase further in the coming days.
According to media reports, an official of the Market Committee said that the government is considering the option of importing important and essential vegetables like onions and tomatoes from India through the Wagah border.
Secretary Lahore Market Committee Shehzad Cheema said that at present we have very limited supply of onion and tomato from Balochistan, the onion we are receiving from Balochistan these days is not of good quality because it is due to rains and floods. It’s wet.’
He said that this situation has led to an increase in the prices of these 2 most important vegetables up to 300 rupees per kg, which were getting 80 to 95 rupees per kg before the rains and floods.
He warned that ‘in the next 3 months, the prices of these two vegetables, including some other vegetables, are expected to increase further due to reduced supply in the market’.
According to Shahzad Cheema, major cities of Punjab, especially Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan and Bahawalpur, are also currently receiving tomatoes and onions from Afghanistan through Torkham border.
He explained that 100 containers of tomatoes and 30 containers of onions are being received at the Torkham border daily, of which 2 containers of tomatoes and one container of onions are brought to Lahore on a daily basis, this number meets the demand in Lahore. There is very little to do’.
He said that the import of vegetables from Iran through the Taftan border in Balochistan is not feasible because the Iranian government has increased taxes on its imports and exports.
He said that ‘import of onions, tomatoes and other vegetables from India through the Wagah border seems to be the only option to meet this shortage and maintain the prices. We have heard that the government is considering this option these days. has been’.
Shahzad Cheema predicted that the prices of dates and bananas will also increase in the coming days as most of the plantations in Sindh have been destroyed by floods.
He said that the supply of apples from Balochistan or other areas has also stopped due to floods, but most of the traders had already stored large quantities of the fruit, hoping that their prices would remain stable.
A vegetable seller in the market said that the price of cabbage from Balochistan is Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg these days, which was Rs 100 per kg in the first week of August.
He further said that the price of 5 kg of onion and tomato in the market has exceeded 1200 rupees.
It should be noted that even before the increase in petroleum products since May, the prices of fruits, vegetables and other commodities had increased drastically in the open markets.
In May, the per kg price of potato, onion, tomato, garlic, ginger and cucumber was Rs 27, Rs 63, Rs 66, Rs 140, Rs 205 and Rs 57 respectively.
