Tomato prices have jumped to over Rs120 per kg from Rs80 because of the late arrival from Sindh and Punjab, together with restricted supplies from India. Tomato produced only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is available in the market, but most of the crop is making its way out of the country. Onion prices have also risen by 15-20 per cent.
A federal minister said consumers in Sindh and Punjab were particularly suffering because of late arrival of crop in the market, but it was a rare opportunity for growers in the conflict-affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to earn higher return on their cash crops. Since the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is ruling the province, he added, it could become a political issue and, therefore, the federal government would have to create a balance between the interest of growers and consumers. The problem can be solved only through a time-bound ban on exports.
The minister said vegetables from Sindh and Punjab would start arriving in the market later this month which would ease pressure on retail prices, adding that a stopgap arrangement was required to provide relief to the consumers.
