ISLAMABAD: Following an increase in fuel, power prices coupled with Pakistan rupee depreciation, the prices of all the essential kitchen items have witnessed a further increase during this week past as compared with the previous week, a survey carried out by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.
After the recent increase in petrol and High Speed Diesel (HSD) rates, the suppliers of Shan and National spices have increased the price of their products from Rs75 per pack of 43 grams to Rs80 per pack.
Boneless beef price has jumped from Rs750 per kg to Rs800 per kg and beef with bones price has gone up from Rs600 per kg to Rs650 per kg.
Mutton price has remained unchanged at Rs1,350 per kg.
During the week under review, the wheat flour suppliers on account of transportation charges have increased the price of 15kg wheat flour bag by Rs10 from Rs1,050 per 15kg bag to Rs1,060 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,080 per bag.
According to traders, the government-sponsored wheat flour bag of 20kg is not only sub-standard but was also not available to all the consumers as millers have linked the supply with purchasing same quantity of 15kg wheat flour bags, which costs high.
Sugar price jumped by Rs300 per 50kg bag from Rs5,250 per 50kg bag to Rs5,550, which in retail is being sold at Rs118-120 per kg against Rs112 per kg, best quality ghee/cooking oil price jumped from Rs360 per kg/litre to Rs370 per litre pack, while B-grade cooking oil prices are stable at Rs4,440 per carton, which in retail is being sold at Rs275 per pack of 900 grams.
Traders told this correspondent that dealers of Dalda and Sufi cooking oil like brands have intimated them that within the next few days, the price of 5-litre pack is likely to cross Rs2,000 and per litre pack price will cross Rs420 per litre mark.
Ghee and cooking oil prices since December 2020 are on the raise as during this period, best quality ghee/cooking oil price has witnessed an increase of Rs134 per kg from Rs250 per kg to Rs370 per kg, while B-grade ghee/cooking oil price increased by Rs115 per pack of 900grams from Rs160 to Rs275 per pack.
Pulses prices remained stable as fine quality maash is being sold at Rs280 per kg, best quality lentil at Rs190 per kg. Best quality bean lentil at Rs280 per kg, masoor at Rs190-200 per kg, best quality whole gram at Rs180 per kg, and moong at Rs140 per kg. Powder red chillies prices also remained stable at Rs400 per kg, and powder turmeric at Rs400 per kg.
The traders said that the price of all the pulses are likely to go up by Rs400 per 40kg owing to Pakistan rupee depreciation and transportation costs. Fresh milk as well as packed milk prices remained stable during the week.
Prices of different quality rice have also remained stable.
However, during this week the prices of chicken witnessed a slight reduction of Rs300 per 40kg, which went down from Rs9,800 per 40kg to Rs9,500, while in retail chicken is being sold at Rs270 per kg against Rs275 per kg, and chicken meat at Rs390 per kg against Rs400 per kg.
Eggs prices also witnessed a slight reduction, which went down from Rs5,200 per carton to Rs4,920 per carton, while in retail eggs are being sold at Rs175 per dozen against Rs180 per dozen.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in retail is being sold at Rs240 per kg, the all-time high rate against Rs205 fixed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on October 2, 2021, while 11.8kg LPG cylinder is being sold at Rs2,400 against Rs2,300.
Moreover, in hilly areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan the commodity prices have reached to 280 per kg mark.
LPG traders said that per kilogramme LPG price which was Rs90 in April 2020 has now officially reached Rs203.69.
They further said that with the arrival of winter LPG prices will further go up and it will touch Rs300 per kg mark and in the hilly areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will cross Rs350 per kg mark.
A comparison of the prevailing market prices and the prices computed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed serious differences as the PBS has mentioned 11.8kg LPG cylinder price at Rs2,321.46 per domestic cylinder of 11kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs2,400 per cylinder.
The PBS has mentioned sugar price at Rs100.75 per kg, while in the market on an average sugar is available at Rs118 per kg. The PBS mentioned Dalda ghee/cooking oil price at Rs1,783.73 per 5kg tin, while in the market it is being sold at Rs1,800 per 5kg tin.
The PBS mentioned wheat flour price of Rs1,196.22 per 20kg bag but in market it is available at Rs1,440 per 20kg bag. Fresh milk price at Rs112.48 per kg, while in the market it is being sold at Rs140 per kg, cooked daal plate at an average hotel is available at Rs140 per plate against the PBS mentioned price of Rs81.77 per plate, mutton in rural areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad is available at Rs1,250 per kg, while the PBS has mentioned it at Rs1,133.20 per kg, while in urban areas of the twin cities mutton is being sold at Rs1,360 per kg.
The PBS has mentioned beef with bones price at Rs559.35, while it is being sold in the range of Rs650 per kg, while boneless beef is available at Rs800 per kg.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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