PESHAWAR
\nAfter performing Sehri and Fajar prayer, Zakir Khan, a poor fruit seller leaves his home on his tricycle rickshaw for Chamkani wholesale fruit market in Peshawar to purchase fruits baskets and returns to his hometown Pabbi bazaar with a hope to earn some living for his family.
\nSupported by his elder son, Muhamamd Arif in loading and unloading the heavy fruit baskets on his rickshaw, Zakir Khan, 47, starts selling fruits in his makeshift shop in the afternoon.
\n\u201cLast year in Ramadan, I used to sell around 30 kilogram of different fruits including watermelon, strawberry, apple, banana and guava daily. But this year, my sale reduced to 20kg and sometimes five to six kg fruit remains unsold due to high rates,\u201d Zajir Khan said.
\n\u201cDuring this season I can hardly earn some profit due to high prices and a fruit boycott campaign by the locals because as the price of apples has jumped from Rs250 per kilogram to Rs400, guava from Rs150 to Rs250 and strawberries from Rs250 to Rs400 per kilogram.
\nSimilarly, he said the price of one dozen banana soared from Rs200 to Rs300 per dozen, oranges from Rs300 to Rs500 per dozen and kinnow from Rs200 to Rs300 per dozen.
\nConsumers are also in a real fix to buy fruits for their iftar due to soaring prices.
\n\u201cI searched two fruit markets in Pabbi and station bazaar to purchase two-kilogram apples and oranges for my family but returned empty-handed,\u201d said Riazul Haq, an Ex-PST teacher. \u201cEven our locally produced strawberry was beyond the purchasing power of the poor and salaried class.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are charged double and even triple of the actual price during Ramazan.
\nIt is not fair, especially during the holy month and when people are already struggling to survive in present economic crunch as a result of wrong policies of the PTI government,\u201d he said.
\nWhen asked about any action by the district administration and price control magistrates, he said, \u201cthey had failed to control fruits, vegetables and other daily use items. We demand strict action against those overcharging and fleecing hard-earned money of the common people.\u201d
\nWhen contacted, Muhammad Kaleem, Director Crops and Fruits Production, Agriculture Department just shied away by putting onus on last year\u2019s flood that he claimed had badly affected the agriculture, horticulture and fruit crops.
\n\u201cDamaged to water channels \u2013 the main source of irrigation for fruits\u2019 orchards in Swat, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Dir, Malakand and Peshawar by floods had negative effects on Kharif and Rabi fruits, vegetable and agriculture crops,\u201d he maintained.
\nHe said Kharif orchards on around 36,333 hectares land produce total annual 34,8863 tones fruit in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and 74,960 tones fruits are produced from orchards on 5611 hectare in merged areas (ex Fata). Similarly, during Rabi season, around 8,457 hectares orchards produce 70,713 tones of fruit in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and 8,235 tons fruits from 1,348 hectares orchards in merged areas.
\nAlthough fruits are an essential item on every dining table during Ramadan yet high prices this year keep most of the people away from buying these items.
\n\u201cUsing fruits during Ramadan was important to quickly restore energy and build immunity besides regulating the digestive system of the fasting people,\u201d said Professor Dr Riaz Malik, Head of Medical and Children Department Govt hospital Nowshera. \u201cBut, present price hike tendency has made it difficult for people to even purchase mush required items.\u201d
\nHe said that watermelon is one of the best fruit sources available in abundance previously to keep fasting people hydrated for long hours.
\n\u201cBut, this time even this commodity seems like beyond the reach of common people.\u201d
\nBesides water-rich watermelon and banana, the use of dry fruits including dates and almonds would help replenish nutrients like minerals fibers besides builds the immunity of the body to sustain energy during fasting. Similarly, dates are also beneficial during Ramadan for being rich in vitamins and nutrients and an excellent source of fiber and carbohydrates.
\nAs nobody can deny the vitality of these edibles for human health but the question of affordability remains there as most of these commodities are beyond the buying power of common and poor people and salaried class.
\nIt is also thought-provoking that when many of non-Muslim countries introduce sales and price cut on essential items during Ramadan, why the traders and wholesalers fleece poor people money in a Muslim country like Pakistan?
\nIt apparently feels that district administration move hand in glove with hoarders, commission agents and wholesalers to plunder poor buyers in the name of price hike.
\n\u201cThis unjustified profiteering on part of these mafias must immediately be checked and those violating the pricing mechanism must be penalized,\u201d said Fakhar Khan.
\n\u201cFor me, it is more an exploitation than the supply and demand issue. Therefore, an across-the-board action was required no matter it is against the traders, wholesalers or the commission agents as well as the negligent officials of the district administrations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR After performing Sehri and Fajar prayer, Zakir Khan, a poor fruit seller leaves his home on his tricycle rickshaw for Chamkani wholesale fruit market in Peshawar to purchase fruits baskets and returns to his hometown Pabbi bazaar with a hope to earn some living for his family. Supported by his elder son, Muhamamd Arif […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-324934","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n