The prices of most of the essential kitchen items registered increase in November as compared to the preceding month, a survey conducted by Business Recorder showed. The survey noted that the prices of different fruits, cooked items, vegetables, pulses, milk and salt registered substantial increase, while all varieties of rice and sugar prices went down.
However, the prices of some commodities remained unchanged. Traders and wholesalers at different markets of Rawalpindi/Islamabad said that milk prices recorded highest increase, followed by wheat flour, yoghurt, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, white salt powder, red chili powder which increased substantially in November. It was noted that tomatoes are being sold at Rs 80 per kg, which were available at Rs 55-60 per kg last month, onions are being sold at Rs 50 per kg against last month price of Rs 40-45 per kg, ginger at Rs 180 per kg which was available at Rs 160 per kg previous month and garlic at Rs 220 per kg, which was being sold from Rs 180 to 200 per kg last month.
Price of green chillies increased by Rs 20-30 per kg at Rs 130 per kg against Rs 100-110 per kg last month. Cauliflower is being sold at Rs 50 per kg against Rs 35-40 per kg last month. The prices of pulses and gram recorded Rs 5 per kg increase, red beans Rs 3, washed moong pulse Rs 3 to 5 per kg and black gram Rs 5 per kg. The price of yoghurt increased by Rs 5, possibly because of the increase in milk prices, which also went up by Rs 5 per kg. With the onset of winter, the price of eggs increased by Rs 14 per dozen, at present one dozen eggs are available at Rs 98 per dozen against last month price of Rs 84 per dozen.
The prices of most of the cooked products increased in November as compared to the preceding month. Plate of beef, vegetable, dal, a cup of tea and plain chapatti went up by Rs 5, Rs 5, Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1 respectively. With the arrival of new rice and sugarcane crops in the market the prices of rice and sugar sharply declined. Sugar which last month was being sold at Rs 70-75 per kg is now selling at Rs 62 per kg in the retail market while in the wholesale market the commodity is available at Rs 55 per kg.
The prices of gur, desi shaker and sugar decreased by Rs 5 to 10 per kg each while those of rice varieties including Irri-6, Basmati-386 and Basmati broken decrease by Rs 5-7 per kg each. The average prices of commodities including mutton, cooking oil, wheat grain, wheat flour, mustard oil and kerosene oil also increased substantially. Similarly the prices of dark red and golden apples and grapes increased.