Onion, sugar, potato prices register unusual increase during November

Prices of some important food commodities including onion, sugar and potato increased extraordinarily during November, as compared to their prices in October 2010, according to FAFEN's monthly Retail Price Monitor released here on Sunday.
Onion price increased by 78 percent in November compared to October 2010. The price of onion has been increasing since July 2010 and experienced a great hike in the month of September. In the onion prices, some decrease was observed during October, however, it increased during the month of November again. The price of sugar further increased by 32 percent during November compared to October. This new surge in sugar prices, just before the start of crushing season, has stirred another sugar crisis. Potato prices, which decreased in October, also increased by 17 percent during November.
During November 2010, FAFEN Governance Monitors collected the prices of 69 commodities and services at retail outlets in 122 towns of 74 districts in four provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). FAFEN Monitors collected these prices on November 10, 2010 across Pakistan.
Prices of 37 consumer commodities (out of 69 commodities monitored by FAFEN) experienced an average increase of 8 percent in their prices. For food commodities, exclusively, the average price increase remained 9 percent.
Food commodities like rice basmati (14 percent), turmeric (12 percent), vegetable ghee and garlic (10 percent), vegetable oil (9 percent), red chillies (8 percent) dry dates and green tea (7 percent) experienced increase in their prices. In medical services the price of blood test increased by 9 percent.
Petrol, L.P.G and CNG had their prices increased by 9 percent, 7 percent and 2 percent, respectively. The prices of apple, diesel, mustard oil, white beans, local ghee, peanuts and kerosene experienced a price increase of 5 percent in their respective prices. The prices of some pulses, meat, wheat, milk and eggs also increased.
Prices of 17 consumer items decreased during the observation period, while the respective prices of 13 consumer items remained stable. Nation-wide, 17 commodities registered an average price decrease of 5 percent. Chicken meat prices decreased by 12 percent, while of those of tomato came down by 16 percent during November.