Prices of essential kitchen items witness manifold increase from 2018 to 2020

ISLAMABAD: Prices of essential kitchen items especially wheat flour, sugar, pulses, spices, ghee/cooking oil, rice, vegetables, chicken and eggs have witnessed manifold increase from August 4, 2018 to August 4, 2020, revealed an analysis of the prices of the past two years based on Business Recorder's weekly conducted surveys. Ex-mill sugar price during the period has jumped from Rs2,620 per 50kg bag to Rs4,550 per 50kg bag showing an increase of 73.66 percent, ex-mill wheat flour price jumped from Rs720 per 20kg bag to Rs1,244 per 20kg bag showing an increase of 72.77 percent, best quality lobia price jumped from Rs140 per kg to Rs280 per kg showing two times increase, and wholesale egg prices jumped from Rs85 per dozen to Rs125 per dozen, reflecting an increase of 47 percent.

Similarly, live chicken wholesale price jumped to Rs4,500 per 40kg to Rs6,500 per 40kg which reflects an increase of 44.44 percent, Lipton yellow label tea price jumped from Rs830 per 950 gram pack to Rs995, showing an increase of 20 percent, fresh milk price jumped from Rs90 per kg to Rs130 per kg showing an increase of 44.44 percent. Branded spices such as Shan and National prices during the period went up from Rs55 per pack to Rs75 per pack, reflecting an increase of 36.36 percent, good quality Basmati rice price jumped from Rs4,200 per 40kg to Rs6,100 per 40kg reflecting an increase of 45.24 percent, good quality ghee/cooking oil prices jumped from Rs920 per 5 liter pack to Rs1,220 per 5 litre pack, showing an increase of 32.61 percent.

Prices of all the major pulses during the period under review witnessed an unprecedented increase as white lentil (maash) price jumped from Rs100 per kg to Rs230 per kg reflecting over two-fold increase, good quality grams from Rs120 per kg to Rs150 per kg reflecting an increase of 25 percent, normal kidney bean (Lobia) from Rs80 per kg to Rs250 per kg showing three-fold increase, green gram (moong) from Rs80 per kg to Rs220 per kg, showing almost three-fold increase, and red lentil (masoor) from Rs100 per kg to Rs160 per kg, showing an increase of 60 percent.

To control the ever-escalating sugar and wheat flour prices during the period has intervened by government repeatedly. No improvement in the supply of subsidized wheat flour and sugar was witnessed at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets for which the government has provided multibillion rupees in subsidies. The USC outlets since months are facing shortage of subsidized items or are selling at market prices. These outlets are facing serious sugar shortage, despite the government allowing the USC to purchase 60,000 tons of sugar. Majority of the Utility Stores outlets have no stocks.

During the period, vegetables prices also witnessed a continuous increasing trend as best quality potato price jumped from Rs120 per 5kg to Rs300 per 5kg, while normal from Rs100 per 5kg to Rs275 per 5kg. In retail market, best quality potato price jumped from Rs35 per kg to Rs70 per kg, while normal from Rs30 per kg to Rs60 per kg, onions price jumped from Rs150 per 5kg to Rs250 per 5kg.

Garlic price went up from Rs450 per 5kg to Rs750 per 5kg and ginger price has reached Rs2,200 per 5kg from Rs750 per 5kg, setting a new record of the highest price, which in retail market is being sold at Rs500 per kg against Rs450 per kg.

Beef price went up from Rs450 per kg to Rs600 per kg showing an increase of 33.33 percent, and mutton from Rs950 per kg to Rs1,200 per kg showing an increase of 26.32 percent.

Powder red chilies price went up from Rs7,500 per 40kg to Rs26,000 per 40kg, showing over three-fold increase, and turmeric price jumped from Rs6,000 per 40kg to Rs10,000 per 40kg showing an increase of 66.66 percent.

Dettol hand washing soap price went up from Rs55 per family size pack to Rs85 per family pack size showing an increase of 54.55 percent. During the period, Pakistan rupee exchange rate against the US dollar has witnessed a decline of 35.77 percent from $1 to Rs123, to $1 to Rs167.

Fruit prices also witnessed an increasing trend as Gaja apple price jumped from Rs60-75 per kg to Rs150 per kg, local good quality banana from Rs75 per dozen to Rs130 per dozen, good quality guava from Rs55 per kg to Rs100 per kg, best quality mangoes from Rs100-120 per kg to Rs150-180 per kg, while normal quality mangoes from Rs70-90 per kg to Rs100-130 per kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020