January 2019 to January 2020: Prices of essential kitchen items witnessed significant increase

Prices of essential kitchen items witnessed a significant increase during the last one year from January 2019 to January 2020, revealed an analysis of the past prices based on weekly surveys conducted by Business Recorder.

The survey observed that during past one year from January 5, 2019 to January 4, 2020, potatoes price went up from Rs120 per 5 kg in wholesales market to Rs200 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs50 per kg against Rs30 per kg; onions price have gone up from Rs140 per 5 kg to Rs400 per 5 kg which in retail market were being sold at Rs90-100 per kg against Rs40 per kg; and tomato price went up from Rs150 per 5 kg to Rs550 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs140 per kg against Rs35 per kg.

During the period, garlic price went up from Rs750 per 5 kg to Rs1,000 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs300 per kg against Rs250 per kg and ginger price went up from Rs600 per 5 kg to Rs1,100 per 5 kg, which in retail market was being sold at Rs350-400 per kg against Rs150 per kg.

Olper, Milk Pack and other packed milk prices went up from Rs1,300 per carton to Rs1,596 per carton, fresh milk from Rs100 per kg to Rs130 per kg, beef from Rs400 per kg to Rs550 per kg, mutton from Rs800 per kg to Rs1,200 per kg, large plain bread from Rs55 per pack to Rs75 per pack and medium plain bread price went up from Rs35 per pack to Rs55 per pack. Powdered chillis price went up from Rs9,000 per 40 kg to Rs21,000 per 40 kg, turmeric from Rs6,000 per 40 kg to Rs11,000 per 40 kg and price of basmati rice went up from Rs140 per kg to Rs180 per kg.

Wheat flour price went up from Rs785 per 20 kg bag to Rs1,100 per 20 kg bag, egg price went up from Rs100 per dozen to Rs130 per dozen in wholesale market which in retail market was being sold at Rs140 per dozen against Rs110 per dozen, live chicken price went up from Rs4,800 per 40 kg to Rs5,500 per 40 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs145 per kg while chicken meat was being sold at Rs280 per kg against Rs250 per kg.

Prices of all the major pulses went up as fine quality white lentil (Maash) price went up from Rs170 per kg to Rs230 per kg, while price of its normal quality increased from Rs135 per kg to Rs200 per kg, gram pulse price from Rs170 per kg to Rs200 per kg and normal quality grams from Rs130 per kg to Rs170 per kg, kidney bean (Lobia) from Rs130-170 per kg to Rs160-200 per kg, green gram (Moong) from Rs120 per kg to Rs200 per kg and price of red lentil (Masoor) increased from Rs130 per kg to Rs180 per kg.

Normal quality ghee/cooking oil price went up from Rs150 per kg to Rs175 per kg pack, while best quality ghee/cooking oil price went up from Rs200 per liter to Rs230 per liter. Sugar price went up from Rs2,700 per 50 kg to Rs3,530 per 50 kg bag, prices of Nido and Everyday milk also witnessed an increase, while prices of packed spices like Shan went up from Rs50 per 100 grams pack to Rs70 per 100 grams pack.

During the period under review, prices of firewood went up from Rs650 per 40 kg to Rs850 per 40 kg and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Rs140 per kg to Rs180 per kg. Cooked food items' prices also witnessed a significant increase over the period as price of a vegetable/daal plate on a normal restaurant went up from Rs90 per plate to Rs130 per plate, chicken plate from Rs120 to Rs160 per, beef from Rs180 to Rs230 per plate, mutton from Rs300 to Rs400 per plate, and normal size roti price went up from Rs7 to Rs10 and Naan from Rs10 to Rs15.

Capsicum price went up from Rs320 per 5 kg to Rs600 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs150 against Rs80 per kg; yam (arvi) price went up from Rs180 per 5 kg to Rs550 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs120-130 per kg against Rs50 per kg; carrot price went up from Rs100 per 5 kg to Rs150 per 5 kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs40 per kg against Rs30 per kg, radish from Rs100 per 5 kg to Rs170 per 5 kg which in retail marker was being sold at Rs45 per kg against Rs30 per kg, and peas price went up from Rs100 per 5 kg to Rs850 per 5 kg in wholesales market which in retail market was being sold at Rs180 per kg against Rs35 per kg. Prices of most of the vegetables including tinda, okra, ridge gourd, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, Karela and others also witnessed a significant increase over the period.

Fruit prices also witnessed an increase as white apple price jumped up from Rs90 per kg to Rs110 per kg, Ambri apple from Rs90 per kg to Rs120 per kg and golden apple from Rs100 per kg to Rs130 per kg. Good quality banana price went up from Rs80 per dozen to Rs100 per dozen, normal quality banana from Rs50-60 per dozen to Rs60-70 per dozen, good quality guava from Rs70 per kg to Rs100 per kg and price of normal quality guava increased from Rs50-55 per kg to Rs70 per kg.