Fruit-vegetable venders cry over low margin of profits

ISLAMABAD, May 30 (APP):The city’s fruit and vegetable vendors on Wednesday complained that the price control teams mandated to monitor prices were solely targeting them for reduction of rates and whole sellers were allegedly set at liberty to impose amount of their own choice.
They were of the view that the assigned teams only restricted their visits to the bazaars and small markets as they do not dare to enter in main supply markets due to which their interests were being compromised .
A vegetable vendor Qamar Shahzad at H-9 Bazaar said they were forced to sell the products below the reasonable profit margin while the middleman was having a lion’s share with a nominal effort.
He said vendors were strictly following the rates set by competent authority but it was annoying for them to go home empty pockets.
Qamar said they were forced to sell one kilogram potato at Rs25,onion at Rs25, Spinach at Rs27 and mint at Rs10 per bundle, almost the same prices on which they are offered these items by the whole-sellers.
“Working as salesman in scorching heat and awakening early morning for buying from the main market is a herculean task for an unjustified profit rate, not even paying back daily expenditures ,” he added.
A fruit seller Rameez Abbasi at Karachi Company Bazaar said it was a matter of survival now and running the business with a 5-10 percent profit margin after paying heavy rent, utility bills, transportation cost, employees salaries was just impossible.
Rameez said they were selling the apple, banana, mango, peach and watermelon at prescribed rates of Rs90,Rs 160, Rs150,Rs100 and Rs 20 per kg respectively with a nominal margin picked from the main market.
He asked the authorities concerned to devise a mechanism for a justified distribution of profits among all stakeholders so that they could also earn reasonable amount to run their economic wheels.
A Wholesaler requesting anonymity said the authorities could not manage to maintain rates as they daily vary after stock’s arrival in the markets. “The fruits and vegetables are sold through bidding process in the market and the relevant authorities have to ensure availability early morning daily .
The retail fruit market, he admitted, ” is being controlled by retailer mafia who grease the palms of control teams which lessens the profit margin of end purchaser.”
A grower Akbar Ali, who brings his products from Haripur in Pirwadahi Market, said, the middleman-retailer nexus takes major chunk of the profit for a nominal effort while grower have to go through long labour from harvesting to delivery in the market.
“The retailers in the market control the demand and supply chain of the edible items in order to mint rates of their own will,” he added.
Chairman Market Committee, Rosh Dil Khan Hoti on vendors complaints said in a recently called meeting he has directed his staff to increase the number of visits in the market as earlier only surprise visits were being paid.
He said he had held 20 meetings with the chairman of Traders Association Ajmal Baloch to convince him for channelizing the 20 year old mechanism of letting retailer to earn 10 percent profit.
He informed that now the department issued the separate rate list for the vendors of suburban areas of capital in which they were allowed to charge 10 percent profit.
Meanwhile, the shopkeepers working in expensive sectors like F-6,F-7,F-8 were allowed to have 30 percent margin due to heavy rent of shops in their respective areas.