KARACHI: Perturbed by a glut-like situation, traders have slowed down the import of pulses September onwards.
This
is after Pakistan made record imports of 1.2 million tonnes of pulses
during 2016-17. Though the record imports had resulted in substantial
fall in wholesale prices, they did not prove beneficial to retail
consumers.
“Our members are worried over slackness in
demand from the consumers for the last few months which is resulting in
piling up of stocks in the markets and godowns,” chairman Karachi
Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) Anis Majeed said.
Figures
of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed that imports of
pulses plummeted to 39,032 tonnes ($35m) in October 2017 from 40,489
tonnes ($34m) in September 2017 while it was 65,061 tonnes ($51m) in
August 2017 and 64,271 tonnes ($52m) in July 2017.
Mr
Anis said sales outlook of pulses still appears bleak despite the start
of winter season when food intake by consumers gradually picks up as
against the summer.
Another main reason in slow demand
of pulses is shifting of consumers towards fresh green vegetables during
winter season, he added.
Transportation charges on
account of ups and downs in high speed diesel (HSD) prices in the last
eight months have not impacted the price of pulses. In April 2017, the
price of diesel was Rs83 per litre which plunged to Rs77.40 per litre in
September 2017.
From October 1 to December 1, 2017
diesel price surged by Rs6.55 per litre. The KWGA chief claimed that
during the decrease and increase in diesel prices, transporters had
neither cut nor raised the transportation charges. The wholesale market
is hit by downward trajectory in wholesale prices due to over imports
and decline in world market prices, he stressed.
The
wholesale price of gram pulse now stands at Rs80 per kg as compared to
Rs105-110 per kg in May 2017. Retailers have kept the price of gram
pulse at Rs120 per kg for the last many months.
The
wholesale price of masoor now ranges between Rs65-75 per kg which was
Rs90-95 per kg in February 2017. Retailers continued charging Rs100 per
kg.
Retailers are demanding moong at Rs 120 per kg while
its wholesale price had plunged to Rs75 per kg which was Rs90-100 per kg
in May 2017.
The wholesale price of mash declined to
Rs75-80 per kg which was Rs100 per kg in July 2017 and Rs125 per kg in
March 2017. Retailers in the above period continued selling mash at
Rs150 per kg.