July 11, 2013 ABDUL RASHEED AZAD & WAQAR LILLAH
Traders have increased prices of Ramazan specific items by 25 percent to 100 percent excluding dates, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed. The survey revealed that on the eve of Ramazan traders increased prices of different fruits – mangoes, bananas, apples, grapes, peaches and watermelons by 25 percent to 50 percent. 
Good quality mango was selling at Rs 100 per kg last Saturday and now it is selling at Rs 150 per kg; grapes were available at Rs 200 per kg against current price of Rs 300 per kg, banana was available at Rs 100 per dozen which is now priced at Rs 150 per dozen. Peaches were available at Rs 100 per kg and now are selling at Rs 160 per kg.
Likewise, prices of basin witnessed an increase of Rs 25 per kg: a few days ago basin was available at Rs 110 per kg which at present has touched Rs 135 per kg. Fresh milk is selling at Rs 80 per litre, yogurt at Rs 90 and live chicken at Rs 190-200. Prices of tomatoes, potatoes and onions have also witnessed an increase, ie, 50 percent to 100 percent as they were priced last Saturday at Rs 80 per kg, Rs 40 per kg and Rs 60 per kg, respectively, and now are selling at Rs 120 per kg, Rs 50 per kg and Rs 80 per kg, respectively.
The survey noted that price of dates registered a significant reduction compared to last Ramazan. Last year per kg good quality dates were selling at Rs 250 per kg which at present are available at Rs 150/200 per kg. The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) has announced setting up of as many as 35 fair price shops and four Sasta bazaars in the Capital. These bazaars and fair price shops would become operational from the first of Ramazan on Thursday (today). The objective of this step of the local administration is to ensure the availability of edible items in bulk and at subsidised rates for the general public during the month of Ramazan.
An official of the ICT told that the administration will depute magistrates to monitor prices of food items in Sasta bazaars on daily basis and they would have authority to fine profiteers upto Rs 90,000 for not displaying the rate list of food items at their shops. Quality of food items will be ensured at the bazaars and fair price shops through daily checking by magistrates, he added. He maintained that citizens prefer buying food items at the Sasta bazaars and fair price shops due to comparatively lower rates of food items in those markets.
Source: Business Recorder
News Collected by agrinfobank.com Team
