Retailers defy new food item price list as they continue to set their own prices
Published on: May 3, 2024.
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The surge in gas prices is expected to curb the smuggling of fertiliser to neighboring countries, which has been happening at the expense of farmers and consumers. This issue has prompted the Rawalpindi district administration to take action and announce new prices for various food items, including pulses, rice, meat, milk, and yogurt.
However, the announcement of these new prices has faced resistance from several associations, including the Grocery Merchants Association, Naanbai Union, Gowala Union, and Mutton Beef Retailers Association. They consider these prices to be unrealistic and have decided not to sell their products at the updated official rates.
According to the notification issued by the deputy commissioner, the new rates for milk are set at Rs170 per kg, while yogurt is available at Rs200 per kg. Mutton meat is priced at Rs1,600 per kg, and beef meat at Rs800 per kg. Additionally, the price of white chickpeas is set at Rs325 per kg, black gram at Rs240 per kg, gram flour at Rs245 per kg, split chickpea lentils at Rs245 per kg, yellow split gram at Rs290 per kg, red lentil thick at Rs310 per kg, lentil mash at Rs490 per kg, basmati rice at Rs300 per kg, and broken rice at Rs155 per kg. The prices for red flour roti and white flour roti are fixed at Rs16 and Rs20 respectively. However, the prices of spices, flour, and sugar have not been determined.
Despite these official rates, shopkeepers in the open market are selling their products at higher prices. For example, fresh milk is being sold at Rs200 per kg, yogurt at Rs220 per kg, mutton meat at Rs2,300 per kg, beef meat at Rs1,200 per kg, white chickpeas at Rs400 per kg, black gram at Rs290 per kg, gram flour at Rs300 per kg, split chickpea lentils at Rs310 per kg, red lentil thick at Rs350 per kg, lentil mash at Rs530 per kg, basmati rice at Rs400 per kg, and broken rice at Rs200 per kg.
The nanbais are charging the same prices for red flour roti in both the official and unofficial markets, at Rs16 and Rs20 respectively. However, the weight of the dough ball for the Rs16 roti has been reduced to 90 grams. Khamiri roti is still being sold at Rs20 to Rs25, and naan at Rs30.
Chaudhry Khurram Gujjar, the secretary of the Gowala Union, explains that the price of milk was Rs170 per kg in 2021. However, due to the skyrocketing prices of buffalos and a 1000% increase in fodder prices, it is no longer feasible to sell milk at that price. Therefore, the price of milk will remain at Rs200 per kg and will not be reduced under any circumstances.
Arshad Qureshi, the vice president of the Mutton Beef Retailers Union, highlights the importance of conducting market visits to determine the fixed price of meat. He mentions that in 2021, mutton was priced at Rs1,600 per kg. However, due to the significant increase in the prices of all animals, it is unlikely that the price of meat will decrease.
Ayaz Khan and Roshan Deen, local shopkeepers from the Grocery Merchant Association, point out that all pulses are imported from foreign countries, which leads to higher wholesale prices compared to the official rates. They state that until there is a wholesale shop where they can procure affordable pulses and rice at the official rate, they will continue selling the products at higher prices.
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