Essential kitchen items’ prices decline following restoration of road networks

ISLAMABAD: Following the restoration of road networks in major parts of the country, the prices of essential kitchen items, especially vegetables have started to witness a declining trend during this week past against the previous week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder, here on Saturday.

During the survey, traders told this correspondent that prices of essential kitchen items, especially vegetables remained at record high level for almost a month owing to devastating floods which destroyed roads and bridges connecting various parts of the country, but now the situation somehow is normalising. However, the survey observed an increase in wheat flour, spices, bathing soap, packed milk, tea, pulses, and other items prices.

A reduction in the prices of sugar, chicken, and ghee-cooking oil was observed.

The survey observed a reduction in chicken price as it went down from Rs9,500 to Rs8,500 per 40kg in the wholesale market, which in retail, is being sold at Rs275 per kg against Rs300 per kg, while chicken meat price went down from Rs450 per kg to Rs400 per kg. Eggs prices went up from Rs5,900 per carton to Rs6,500, while in retail, eggs are being sold at Rs240 per dozen against Rs230 per dozen.

Wheat flour prices witnessed an increase as the best quality wheat flour price in the wholesale market went up from Rs1,480 per 15kg bag to Rs1,450 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,500-1,520 per bag against Rs1,480 a bag and the normal quality wheat flour bag price went up to Rs1,450 per 15kg bag from Rs1,420 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,480 per bag against Rs1,450 per 15kg bag.

The Punjab government-sponsored wheat flour is available at Rs950 per 20kg bag and all the registered retailers are getting 25 wheat-flour bags daily. Sugar price went up down from Rs4,180 per bag to Rs4,100, which in retail is being sold at Rs90-95 per kg.

Rice prices witnessed reduction as the best quality Basmati Rice price went down to Rs11,200 per 50kg bag from Rs11,700 per 50kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs290 per kg against Rs310 per kg, normal quality Basmati Rice from Rs9,700 per 50kg to Rs9,000 per 50 kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs245 per kg against Rs265 per kg, while Broken Basmati rice price is stable at Rs5,500 per 50kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs160 per kg.

Ghee and cooking oil prices witnessed reduction as B-Grade ghee/cooking oil price went down from Rs6,300 per carton to Rs6,000 per carton.

Prices of the best quality cooking oil-ghee brands such as Dalda, Sufi, and others also went down as Dalda ghee/cooking oil prices went down from Rs2,750 per 5kg pack to Rs 2,700 per 5kg pack. According to an analysis of the BR surveys of the past three years, the prices of the best quality ghee/cooking oil such as Dalda, Sufi, and Shan witnessed an increase of Rs420 per kg as it went up from Rs200 per kg to Rs620 per kg, B-grade cooking oil/ghee price increased from Rs120 per pack to Rs520 per pack, reflecting an increase of Rs400 per pack of 900 grams. Mustard oil price went up from Rs500 per kg to Rs600.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022