ISLAMABAD: With the start of the new year, the prices of most of the essential kitchen items witnessed an increasing trend as compared with the prices of the last week, a survey carried out by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.
The survey observed an increase in the pulses’ prices, as fine quality maash price in retail further jumped by Rs10 per kg from Rs300 to Rs310, the price of the best quality lentil from Rs200 per kg to Rs210 per kg, and the best quality bean lentil price from Rs290 per kg to Rs300 per kg. The price of masoor jumped from Rs200 per kg to Rs220 per kg, best quality whole gram from Rs200 per kg to Rs220 per kg, and moong price jumped from Rs140 per kg to Rs165 per kg.
Price of the quality cooking oil brands such as Dalda of three litre bottle jumped from Rs1,030 to Rs1,275 per bottle, while best quality ghee price remained stable at Rs2,020 per 5 litre pack.
Prices of B-grade cooking oil brands such as Phool remained stable at Rs4,400 per carton, which in retail is being sold at Rs300 per pack of 900gram.
Ghee and cooking oil prices since December 2020 are on the rise as during this period, the prices of the best quality ghee/cooking oil have witnessed an increase of Rs165 per kg from Rs250 per kg to Rs415 per kg, while B-grade ghee/cooking oil price increased by Rs140 per pack of 900grams from Rs160 to Rs300 per pack.
During the week under review, wheat flour prices witnessed an increase of Rs20 per 15kg bag as the price of good quality wheat flour bag in the wholesale market went up from Rs1,050 per 15kg to Rs1,060 per 15kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,080 per 15kg bag against previous rate of Rs1,070 per bag.
While the rate of government-sponsored wheat flour bag of 20kg is unchanged at Rs1,140 per bag.
According to wholesalers, following the increase in petrol and high-speed diesel oil prices, a further increase in the prices of all the daily use items on account of escalating transportation cost both within the city and intra-city is inevitable.
Traders said that the increase in fuel price will immediately affect the prices of the vegetables and other edible items as these items are transported on a daily basis. They said that a pick-up truck charging Rs10,000 fare from district Swabi to Islamabad wholesale market now will charge at least Rs1,000 additional as a result prices of edibles including chicken and eggs will go up.
Rates of fresh milk, as well as, packed milk remained stable during the week. Packed milk suppliers such as Milk Pak and Olpers have intimated the traders of increasing one litre milk pack price from Rs160 per litre to Rs165 per pack. Packed salt powder price jumped from Rs32 per pack to Rs35 per pack of 800 grams.
Chicken price has witnessed a reduction of Rs7,500 per 40kg in the wholesale market to Rs7,000 per 40kg,while in retail, chicken is being sold at Rs190 per kg against Rs200 per kg, and chicken meat price went down from Rs320 per kg to Rs300 per kg. Eggs’ prices also witnessed an increase as it jumped from Rs5,200 per carton to Rs5,600 per carton and in retail market, they are being sold at Rs195 per dozen against previous rate of Rs182 per dozen.
Firewood price is unchanged at Rs900 per 40kg and despite the fact the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has announced a reduction in the prices of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the LPG dealers are still selling the commodity at Rs270 per kg, while 15kg LPG cylinder is being sold at Rs3,400 per cylinder.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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