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- Pakistan Tomato Price Hike Crisis Reason; Afghanistan Border | Islamabad Kabul
islamabad3 minutes ago
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The price of tomato in Pakistan has gone up to Rs 600 (Pakistani) per kg. This is 400% more than normal prices. This means that tomato which was available at Rs 50-100 per kg has now reached Rs 550-600 per kg.
Major crossings like Torkham and Chaman are closed due to the ongoing tension on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border since October 11. Islamabad had accused Kabul of harboring terrorist attacks. Due to this there is tension between the two and business is at a standstill.
Instead of 30 trucks, only 15-20 trucks of tomatoes are arriving daily.
Nearly 5,000 containers are stuck due to the closure of the crossing. Which are filled with items like tomatoes, apples and grapes. Also, heavy rains and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh have caused significant damage to crops.
According to media reports, instead of 30 trucks, only 15-20 trucks of tomatoes are reaching Lahore’s Badami Bagh market every day, due to which the demand-supply gap has increased. Therefore the prices have increased.
Production reduced due to floods in Pakistani areas
One reason for the rise in tomato prices is the long-running cross-border trade. According to a PTI report, in 2011, Indian traders took advantage of high tomato prices in Pakistan and sent trucks loaded with tomatoes through the Attari-Wagah border.
Trucks of tomatoes used to go to Pakistan daily from Delhi and Nashik, due to which the prices increased in the Indian markets. Experts say floods in Sindh and other producing areas of Pakistan often result in local shortages, pushing up prices further.
Now Pakistani customers are also facing a similar situation, because local supply is less and imports are not happening due to border closure. According to RP Gupta, director of the National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation, major producing areas in India like Nashik, Pune and Ahmednagar currently meet the demand of the northern markets. Due to lack of cross border supplies, there is further pressure on local prices in Pakistan.
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