MANSEHRA, Nov 10: The prices of vegetables have recorded an unprecedented hike as tomato is being sold at Rs120 per kilogram in Mansehra.

`We have no alternative business to earn livelihood for our children. We are suffering losses in our business for the last many weeks as prices of vegetables and fruits have been increased by more 50 per cent,` said Tubrak Shah, a fruit and vegetable seller.

The prices of almost all vegetables are on the rise as tomato, which is commonly sold at about Rs20 to Rs30 per kilogram is now being sold at Rs120 per kilogram.

The price list of the fruits and vegetables issued by dis-trict administration on Saturday shows that the rates have been increased exorbitantly.

`We voted Mian Nawaz Sharif into power and were pleased that he would put the country on the track of prosperity and issue of price hike would be addressed but because of increase in tariff of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products by the government now prices of everything even vegetables have gone up alarmingly,` said Mohammad Adnan, a buyer.

According to price list potato is being sold at Rs50 per kilogram, onion Rs70 per kilogram, garlic Rs100 per kilogram, ladyfinger at Rs70 per kilogram, cauliflowerRs70 per kilogram and brinjal at Rs40 per kilogram.

Tubrak Shah said that prices of almost all vegetables were increased by more than 50 per cent. He said that in routine potato was sold at Rs20 per kilogram and poor people used to buy it to feed their families but after increase in its price its sale was also down drastically.

Mr Shah said that although current price hike in country triggered by successive increase in tariff of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products was a major cause of hike in prices of vegetables, yet floods in 2011 were also a factor of it as vast fertile land was eroded and submerged in Punjab and Sindh provinces.-Correspondent