Except a slight decline in prices of some vegetables and fruits, the entire range of essential kitchen items witnessed an increase during this week past as compared to the preceding week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.
The wholesalers and traders in the markets of the twin cities of Rawalpindi /Islamabad said that prices of sugar, pulses, ghee, cooking oil, wheat flour, and entire number of spices registered an increase during the week past as compared to the preceding week.
They said that after the budget announcement, the prices of many essential kitchen items went up. Moreover, increased transportation cost after the increase in petroleum products also resulted in increasing food items prices. The traders feared further increase in food items, saying that increase in gas, electricity and oil prices would add to production as well as transportation costs.
A visit to different markets in the twin cities revealed that sugar price increased from Rs70 to Rs75 per kg during this week. The increase in sugar price is attributed to the government's announcement of increasing sales tax on sugar from 8 percent to 17 percent. Further edible oils, ghee and cooking oil will be charged 17 percent FED after the passage of budget from the Parliament. However, the wholesalers and retailers have already increased ghee/cooking oil prices by Rs5-10 per kg/litre of different brands.
However, chicken price registered a decline during the week past as compared to the preceding week, as it was being sold at Rs 160-170 per kg in different markets compared to previous prices of Rs 200-220 per kg. Eggs were being sold at Rs75-85 against Rs90-100 per dozen in the retail market.
Furthermore, pulses prices also witnessed an increase as fine quality white lentil (Maash) was available up to Rs 220 per kg while its normal quality was being sold at Rs 170-180 per kg; good quality grams at Rs 210 per kg and normal quality grams at Rs 170 per kg; kidney bean (Lobia) in the range of Rs 130-170 per kg; and green gram (Moong) at Rs 155 per kg and red lentil (Masoor) was being sold at Rs 170 per kg.
Wheat flour was available at Rs790-795 per 20kg bag, best quality basmati rice at Rs 165 per kg and normal quality basmati rice was available in the range of Rs 140-150 per kg against the previous prices of Rs 135-145.
During the week under review, onion was available at Rs 250-270 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs55-60 per kg, tomato price went up from Rs 150 to Rs 200 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs55-60 against Rs40 per kg in the retail market and potato price went up from Rs 120 to Rs 150 per 5 kg which was being sold at Rs 35 against Rs 25-30 per kg in the retail market.
Local garlic was available at Rs400-500 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 150 per kg in the retail market, Chinese garlic at Rs700-750 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 180-200 per kg in the retail market, and ginger was available at Rs 1,050 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 260 per kg in the retail market. Capsicum price remained Rs 130-150 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 35-40 per kg in the retail market and yam (arvi) was available at Rs 200 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs45-50 per kg in the retail market. Lemon price decreased to Rs600-650 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 120-150 per kg in the retail market.
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