KARACHI: The sale of various food items that are used for preparing ration packs has remained subdued this Ramazan compared to last year due to skyrocketing prices and dwindling purchasing power of the people, according to commodity traders. It is customary for people to prepare ration packets and distribute them among the needy, especially during Ramazan. However, inflated electricity bills, gas tariffs, and rising petroleum prices are preventing many people from helping out the poor this year.
Shakeel Ahmed, a commodity trader at Jodia Bazaar, revealed that the sale of various items like pulses, rice, and sugar was now 60% lower than last year. Similarly, the sale of other items like ghee and cooking oil, tea, flour, etc., also remained below expectations.
Due to the meteoric rise in commodity prices, people are having trouble arranging food for their own families, let alone arranging ration bags for others. People are worried about rising political and economic crises in the country, making them spend cautiously. Some who had arranged food items for 100 bags last year have procured commodities to make only 30-40 bags.
The price range of ration bags usually hovers between Rs4,000-8,000, but this year people prefer a Rs4,000-5,000 bag due to the rising cost of living. Wholesale rates are almost double this year from last year, which is making it difficult for people to distribute handouts.
Commodity rates have surged, with super quality basmati rice carrying the price tag of Rs370-380 per kg. Flour costs Rs140-160 per kg, sugar costs Rs110 per kg, moong dal at Rs245-260 per kg, masoor Rs240-245 per kg, mash Rs400 per kg, black gram Rs180-185 per kg, white gram Rs295-370 per kg, medium-range basmati costs Rs350-300 per kg, while good quality rice costs Rs350 per kg or more.
The price of good quality ghee and cooking oil ranges between Rs550-680 per kg/litre from Rs400-490 last year. Sugar sells at Rs110-120 per kg as compared to Rs83-95 per kg last year. A good quality tea pack (less than 250 grams) now sells at Rs413-558 as compared to Rs250-260.
According to Faisal Anis Majeed, a commodity trader/exporter, the price of a ration pack of Rs2,500 last year has now surged to Rs5,000. The sale of commodities to consumers has dropped by at least 50% compared to last year.
Farid Qureshi, General Secretary of the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG), said that his permanent customers had reduced the number of ration bags to 30-40 from 50 bags last year, while some buyers who used to make 100 bags had ordered just 50 bags. The funding graph from the people was down by 50% than last year, said Shakeel Denali, Public Relations Director of the Alamgir Welfare Trust International.
This year, a number of people have opted to give cash as per their salaries and income to the poor instead of providing ration, according to a ration bag supplier.
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