Karachi’s biggest fruit and vegetable market is buzzing due to juicy sales of the seasonal watermelon.
But while the abundance of the fruit is good news for thirsty consumers — bargains are to be had this year thanks to the big harvest — suppliers are getting lower prices than normal for their crop.
Every day around 200 to 250 trucks of various size dock at the main market meant for supply to the rest of the metropolitan city. This year the crop has increased over the previous years.
“Prices have declined by almost PKR 20,000 (USD 164) to PKR 30,000 (USD 246) per truck load due to the increasing supply of watermelon coming from both from interior of Sindh and Punjab provinces,” Fazal Khan Mohmand, fruit dealer and leader of trade community of the city’s main market told Arab News.
The prices of Sindh’s watermelon is PKR 80,000 (USD 656) to PKR 100,000 (USD 819) per truck load while those coming from Punjab are priced at PKR 120,000 (USD 983) to PKR 150,000 (USD 1,229) per truck load.
In Pakistan watermelon season begins in April and ends in late June or July. Watermelon is extremely popular during extreme hot weather for its thirst-quenching properties.
Usually during the forthcoming holy month of Ramadhan fruit sales, especially of seasonal fruits of which watermelon makes major part, increase greatly and prices can more than double.
However, this is not expected to occur this year. “As far as watermelon are concerned the prices are not likely to increase because of huge inflow of the commodity,” Mohmand noted.
There is no official data on watermelon production but estimates suggest it hovers around 400,000 tons per year with little annual variation. “In our area the per acre production is between 700 to 1,100 maund,” said Malik Asghar, Chairman of Punjab Fruit Exporters Association.
As the production has increased the farmers are not getting the right prices. “Watermelon being purchased at rate of PKR 400 per mound from farmers and supplied to the market at rate of PKR 800 (USD 7), which includes cost of transportation and labor cost,” Asghar added.
Watermelons are mostly water, 92 percent, but also contain significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids.
Health experts also suggest sufficient intake of watermelon especially in the current hot season when perspiration dehydrates human body.
“Watermelons consist of water and lot of minerals that are essential for human body. We recommend people to consume watermelon so that their bodies get rehydrated,” Dr. SM Qaiser Sajjad, General Secretary of Pakistan Medical Association, recommended while talking to Arab News.
“People must ensure that whatever they are consuming must be fresh,” he cautioned.
Source: Arab News