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 wheat flour price in wholesale market remained stable as the best quality flour is available at Rs1,480 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,520 per kg and normal quality is available at Rs1,450 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,480 per bag.
Sugar price also witnessed no changes in the wholesale market as the commodity is available at Rs7,200 per 50kg bag, while in retail, sugar is being sold at Rs150 per kg. Chicken prices went up from Rs12,800 to Rs16,200 per 40kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold at Rs445 per kg against Rs375 per kg and chicken meat is available at Rs750 per kg against Rs650, egg price went up from Rs6,800 to Rs7,500 per carton of 30 dozens which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per dozen against Rs250 per dozen.
Mutton and beef prices remained stable as normal quality mutton is available at Rs2,100 per kg, normal quality boneless beef at Rs1,250 per kg, and normal beef at Rs1,050.
Tea prices witnessed no changes as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,200 per 900grams pack and Islamabad Tea is available at Rs1,800 per kg; turmeric powder price went down from Rs800 to Rs600 per kg and red chilli powder price is stable at Rs600 per kg.
The LPG prices are stable as the commodity is officially available at Rs234 per kg while in the market, LPG price went up from Rs290 to Rs300 per kg, which is Rs66 per kg higher than the OGRA’s set price of Rs234 per kg. The prices of branded spices such as Shan, National, and others, witnessed no changes as a pack of 39 grams spice is available at Rs130.
Following an increase in the prices of edible items, the restaurant and hotel owners are also all set to increase the prices of cooked food items in the range of 10 to 20 percent.
At present, the price of a cooked daal plate at a normal hotel is Rs250 and a cooked vegetable plate is Rs250 which is likely to go up to Rs270 per plate.
Rice prices witnessed no changes as the best quality basmati rice in wholesale market is available at Rs11,800 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs330, normal quality Basmati at Rs9,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs270 per kg, and broken Basmati at Rs8,000 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs220 per kg.
Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed a decreasing trend as B-grade ghee/oil price went down from Rs5,800 to Rs5,500 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs350-360 per pack, while best quality cooking oil/ghee brands such as Dalda ghee are available at Rs2,450 per 5kg tin and cooking oil at Rs2,500 per 5-litre bottle.
Pulses prices witnessed no changes as the best quality maash is available at Rs540 per kg, gram pulse at Rs330 per kg, whole gram pulse at Rs330 per kg, various varieties of bean lentils are available in the range of Rs360-560 per kg, moong at Rs300 per kg, and masoor price at Rs300 per kg.
Packed milk prices such as Milk Pak and Olpers are available at Rs95 per 260ml pack, Rs370 per litre pack. The suppliers of fresh milk are also all set to increase milk price from Rs220 per kg to Rs250 per kg and yoghurt price from Rs250 per kg to Rs280 per kg. Powder milk such as Nido and Lactogen prices also increased as 400 gram powder milk price went up from Rs1,150 to Rs1,320 and 200 gram pack from Rs600 to Rs700 per pack.
According to traders, so far detergents’ and bathing soaps’ prices have not increased as Safeguard family size pack is available at Rs170, family size Lux at Rs130, and Ariel Surf and other detergents at Rs600 per kg pack, but in the coming days, prices of these items will also go up.
The prices of various brands of cold drinks such as Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others remained stable as family-size bottle is available at Rs230.
Overall, vegetables prices witnessed an increasing trend. Ginger price went up from Rs3,300 to Rs3,400 per 5kg in wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs700-800 per kg against Rs650-750 per kg, local garlic price went up from Rs1,500 to Rs1,700 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs400-425 per kg against Rs330-350 and Quetta garlic price went up from Rs1,600 to Rs2,200 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs500-525 against Rs380-400 per kg.
Potato prices went up from Rs275-375 to Re300-450 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold between Rs75-110 against Rs70-100 per kg, tomato prices went down from Rs500-550 per 5kg to Rs450-500 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs100-140 per kg against Rs120-150 per kg, and onion price went up from Rs275-400 to Rs300-450 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs75-110 against Rs70-100 per kg.
Capsicum price went up from Rs450 to Rs550 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs130-150 against Rs110-115, various varieties of pumpkin are available in the range of Rs350-750 against Rs300-350 per 5kg in wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs85-190 per kg against Rs75-160 per kg; various types of tindas are available in the range of Rs600-800 against Rs550-750 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs140-200 against Rs65-165 per kg; eggplant price went up from Rs300 to Rs800 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs190-220 against Rs75-80 per kg; cauliflower price went up from Rs550 to Rs600 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs130-140 against Rs120-130, and cabbage price went up from Rs375 to Rs700 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs160-180 against Rs85-90. Bitter gourd price went up from Rs225 to Rs300 per 5kg which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs75-80 against Rs60-70 per kg, green chilli are available in the range of Re90-110 against Rs75-90 per kg, carrot price is stable at Rs400 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs90-100 per kg and cucumber price is stable at Rs250 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs60-70 per kg.
Yam price went up from Rs600 to Rs650 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs140-150 per kg against Rs130-135 per kg; turnip price went up from Rs300 to Rs350 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs75-80 against Rs70-80, peas price went up from Rs1,000 to Rs1,100 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs235-270 against Rs220-250 per kg, okra price went up from Rs350 to Rs550 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs130-140 per kg against Rs85-90 per kg and fresh bean price went up from Rs650 per 5kg to Rs800 which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs190-210 per kg against Rs145-170 per kg.
Fruit prices witnessed a mixed trend as Iranian Kala Killo apple price is stable at Re300-350, white apples are available in the range of Rs110-200 per kg against Rs110-180 per kg. Bananas price went up from stable Rs75-210 to Rs100-250 per dozen; various varieties of melons are available in the range of Rs45-120 against Rs40-100 per kg, various varieties of watermelons are available in the range of Rs35-60 per kg against Rs45-90 per kg. Various varieties of peaches are being sold in the range of Rs130-250 per kg against Rs120-300 per kg. Falsa is being sold at Rs400-450 per kg against R320-350 per kg, plumps in the range of Rs160-450 against Rs220-350 per kg, cherry at Rs325-350 per packet and lokaat at Rs100-200 per kg and mangoes in the range of Rs80-225 per kg against Rs70-200 per kg.
People said that the retailers are always violating the official price list and sell all the items on higher prices. They blamed that due to ineffective monitoring by commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, the special price control magistrates, and other relevant departments, the consumers were at the mercy of the vendors as they were free to charge their own prices of not only vegetables and fruits but of other items too. They said one vendor was selling tomatoes at Rs60 per kg while another at Rs70 per kg of same quality while the official price is Rs55 per kg, mutton on some shops was available at Rs2,000 per kg and same quality of mutton was being sold at Rs2,200 per kg at others, wheat flour was available at Rs1,330 per 15kg bag on one shop and another shopkeeper was selling same quality of the commodity at Rs1,350.
They urged the government to strictly enforce official price list daily and weekly and prepare it in consultation with the respective traders’ unions and punish the violators.
However, Business Recorder also observed a serious difference between the official prices of various items and market prices. It also observed retailers, vendors, and other sellers are not displaying official price list of household items at a prominent place and are not even providing on demand.
According to traders, over the past few years, continuous increase in fuel and utilities’ costs significantly contributed to increasing the prices. They attributed around 20 percent increase in the prices of all the items to increase in gas and electricity bills. Traders are also forced to move up their margins to meet ever increasing expenditure from salaries to transportation costs and other miscellaneous expenses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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