ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed an increase during this week past against the previous week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder, here on Saturday.
The survey observed a significant reduction in sugar price which has reached Rs 8,800 per 50kg bag in wholesale market on September 6th, now has reduced by Rs600 per bag and being traded at Rs 8,200 per bag in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs200 per kg. Within the past three months, sugar price has witnessed an increase of Rs 2,800 per 50kg bag as it went up from Rs 5,500 to Rs 8,200 per 50kg in the wholesale market, while in retail its price has witnessed an increase of Rs56 per kg.
Chicken price witnessed a reduction as it went down from Rs 15,000 per 40kg in the wholesale market to Rs 14,500 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs385 per kg against Rs400 per kg, while chicken meat is being sold at Rs680 per kg against Rs700. Egg price went up from Rs 8,150 to Rs 8,270 per carton, while in retail, eggs are being sold at Rs305 per dozen against Rs300 per dozen.
Wheat flour price remained unchanged as best quality wheat flour is available at Rs 2,120 per 15kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs 2,150 per bag, normal quality wheat flour bag is available at Rs 2,080 in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs 2,120 per bag.
Tea prices remained stable as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs 2,050 per 900 gram pack and Islamabad tea is available at Rs 1,600; powdered chilli price went up from Rs600 per kg toRs750 per kg, and turmeric powder price up from Rs500 per kg to Rs750 per kg.
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) price witnessed no change as officially it is available at Rs240.1 per kg, however, LPG traders are selling the commodity at their own set price in violation of the OGRA’s set price of Rs240.1 per kg as the distributors and retailers are selling the commodity in the range of Rs290-320 per kg. The OGRA has set 15kg domestic cylinder LPG price at Rs 3,600, while in market it is available at Rs 4,500 per 15kg cylinder, reflecting an overcharging of Rs900 per cylinder.
Branded spices such as National, Shan, and others’ prices went down from Rs110 per pack to Rs100. Prepared tea cup at a normal tea stall is available at Rs70 per cup, the price of a cooked daal plate at a normal hotel is Rs250, cooked vegetable plate at Rs250, while roti price remained stable at Rs20 per roti, and naan at Rs30.
Rice prices witnessed an increase as best quality basmati rice price went up from Rs 12,600 per 40kg bag to Rs 13,000, while the retailers are selling at Rs350 per kg, normal quality Basmati rice at Rs 10,000 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs300 per kg, and broken Basmati rice price went up from Rs 8,500 per 40kg bag to Rs 9,500, which in retail is being sold at Rs230 per kg.
Ghee-cooking oil prices witnessed a mixed trend as B-grade ghee-cooking oil prices went up from Rs 5,400 to Rs 5,800 per carton in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs365-380. While best quality cooking oil-ghee brands such as Dalda ghee is available at Rs 2,790 and cooking oil at Rs 2,850 per 5-litre bottle.
However, it is observed that retailers in different parts of the cities are free to charge their own as there is no check by the price monitoring committees.
Moreover, traders also said that the ghee-cooking oil, pulses, and other edibles prices in the coming weeks may go up as Pakistani rupee in the past one month has witnessed significant depreciation.
Pulses prices witnessed an increasing trend as best quality maash is available at Rs540 per kg against Rs520 per kg, gram pulse is being sold at Rs300 per kg against Rs280 per kg, whole gram pulse is being sold at Rs370 per kg against Rs440 per kg, bean lentils of various varieties are available in the range of Rs300-350 per kg, moong at Rs280 per kg against Rs260 per kg, and masoor at Rs280 per kg against Rs240 per kg.
Packed milk prices remained unchanged as small Milk Pak and other brands are being sold at Rs70 per pack, while one litre pack is available at Rs260 per pack. Fresh milk prices are stable at Rs200 per kg and yoghurt at Rs220 per kg.
Detergents’ prices witnessed no changes but the producers have reduced the size of the packaging significantly and are charging same prices. Bathing soaps such as Safeguard, Lux, and Dettol prices witnessed an increase as within the past one month normal size bathing soap price went up from Rs110 to Rs135 per pack and family pack price went up from Rs145 to Rs165 per pack.
Overall, vegetables prices witnessed an increasing trend as ginger price in the wholesale market went up from Rs 4,300 to Rs 5,300 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs 1,150-1275 per kg against Rs 1,050-1,150, local garlic price is stable at Rs1,700 in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs380-400 per kg, and Quetta garlic price went further up from Rs2,100 per 5kg to Rs2,300 in the wholesale market, which in retail is available in the range of Rs550-650 against Rs450-550 per kg.
Potato price remained stable as it is available at Rs300-400 per 5kg in wholesale, which in retail are being sold at Rs70-95 per kg, tomato prices went up from Rs700 per basket of 13kg to Rs1,700 in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs155-220 per kg against Rs50-60 and onions price went down from Rs280-350 per 5kg to Rs230-300, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs55-85 against Rs75-85 per kg.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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