29 items became dearer by eight percent in April

The prices of 29 essential commodities, including fruits, potato, rice, vegetable and ghee, registered an average increase of 8 percent during April 2011 as compared to March 2011. According to Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), Retail Price Monitor for April prices of total 52 commodities were monitored, out of which 18, including some important items like onion, tomato, poultry products and pulses, registered an average decrease of 5 percent, while the prices of five commodities remained unchanged.
FAFEN monitors collected these prices on April 10, 2011 from designated retail outlets at 118 towns of 79 districts across the four provinces. During the month under review of all food items that registered an increase the highest increase, of 77 percent, was observed in the price of kinnow. Its supply ended due to the culmination of its harvesting season. Other fruits like apple dark, apple golden and banana also registered increases of 19 percent, 18 percent and 9 percent in their respective prices in the month. Seasonal effect was also observed in the price of peanuts that increased by 8 percent with the conclusion of the winter season.
Price of potato registered a further increase of 12 percent. Different milk products prices were also increased due to a 5 percent increase in milk price. Yoghurt registered an increase of 3 percent in its price, while the price of prepared tea cup went up by 1 percent during April as compared to March. It said that in most parts of the country wheat prices registered 1 percent surge just before the arrival of fresh crop which resulted in 6 percent increase in the price of tandoori bread (chapatti).
Similarly, prices of cooked items like cooked pulse, vegetable and beef plate increased by 9 percent, 6 percent and 5 percent respectively. The increase in the price of these cooked items can be related to the increase in the prices of beef (2 percent), vegetable ghee (1pc) and cooking oil (1pc) that are among the major ingredients in the preparation of these items, besides hike in gas, electricity and petroleum prices. Kitchen fuels like kerosene oil and LPG also experienced an 8 percent and 3 percent increase in their prices respectively.
Fafen Monitors further said that the commodities and services which registered a decrease in their prices were tomato and onion, which on average registered the highest decrease of 14 percent each in April as compared to March 2011. Prices of pulses like gram black (3 percent), moong pulse (2 percent), white beans (1 percent), gram pulse (1 percent) and mash pulse (1 percent) registered a decrease in April as compared to the previous month. In poultry, eggs, chicken meat and chicken live experienced a price decrease of 12 percent, 9 percent and 6 percent respectively.
Similarly, other consumer items like garlic (5 percent), salt powder (2 percent), mustard oil (2 percent), desi shaker (2 percent) and gur (1 percent) registered decrease in their prices in April as compared to March 2011. The end of the winter season led to a relatively decreased demand of firewood that resulted in decrease in its price. The price of firewood experienced a decrease of 6 percent in the observed month.