Lemon and coriander were commonly thrown in with the day’s vegetable shopping as a complimentary item. But during the past few days, the price of lemons has skyrocketed.

A few weeks ago, lemons were being sold for around Rs300 per kilogramme. But during the past few days, the rates have soared to Rs800-1100 for a kilo.

The surprising fact is that lemons being imported from other countries, like China and Turkey, are being sold at a cheaper rate. But the lemons grown in Pakistan are the ones being sold at exorbitant prices.

According to the vegetable sellers in Quetta, Balochistan, the lemons being brought in from Turkey are being sold for a cheaper price because their cost of production in the country is low. This is because it is being harvested using the latest methods.

The lemons being brought into Quetta from Sindh are being sold at Rs600, while the ones from Punjab are priced at Rs800 per kilogramme. Those from Turkey are priced at Rs400 even though they are bigger.

Vegetable sellers in Quetta told Aaj News that lemons are brought to the city from Sindh and Punjab.

They said the addition of transportation costs to the lemon’s price is one reason why traders sell them in the market at a higher rate.

Punjab’s Jhelum has also seen a surge in the price of organic lemons. Kamran, a vegetable seller in the city, told Aaj Digital raw lemons are being sent to the markets, which are ripened artificially.

He said unripe lemons are being sold at a high price because the upcoming season will see a rise in demand for the vegetable. This is the reason why sellers are willing to pay any price to ensure they have enough for future sales.

However, not just in Pakistan, lemon prices in India are also sky-high.

The Indian news channel, Times of India, has reported that recently a groom in India’s Gujarat was gifted two boxes of lemons as a wedding gift.