The prices of daily use items, especially vegetables, poultry items, shoe polish, pulses, wheat flour, spices and fruits, witnessed an increase during the current week against last week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder on Saturday.
A survey carried out by this correspondent in various markets of Islamabad and Rawalpindi showed that tomato prices registered an increase of Rs 40 per kg against last week''s prices, Shimla Mirch Rs 50 per kg, okra Rs 30 per kg. Shoe polish showed a rise of Rs 10 per packet, onions Rs 10 per kg, pomegranate Rs 50 per kg, wheat flour Rs 3 per kg and green chillies Rs 40 per kg. Live chicken Rs 10 per kg, chicken meat Rs 20 per kg and the entire range of pulses Rs 5-10 per kg.
Last week tomatoes, Shimla Mirch, potato, Arvi, green chillies, cabbage, cauliflower, cherry shoe polish, live chicken, chicken meat, pomegranate, orange, onions, ginger, garlic, lemon and eggs were being sold at Rs 60 per kg, Rs 60 per kg, Rs 30 per kg, Rs 50, Rs 120-130 per kg, Rs 35, Rs 40 per kg, Rs 55 per packet, Rs 160 per kg, Rs 280 per kg, Rs 250 per kg, Rs 100-150 per dozen, Rs 160 per kg, Rs 180 per kg, Rs 120 per kg, and Rs 72 per dozen, respectively. During the week under review, tomatoes are being sold at Rs 100 per kg, Shimla Mirch Rs 80 per kg, potatoes Rs 35 per kg and green chillies were being sold at Rs 160 per kg. Cabbage were being sold at Rs 40 per kg, cauliflower Rs 45-50 per kg, live chicken Rs 170 per kg, chicken meat Rs 300 per kg, pomegranate Rs 300 per kg, melon Rs 50 per kg, eggs Rs 84 per kg, shoe polish at Rs 65 per packet, ginger and garlic at Rs 200 per kg each.
Prices of pulses, including Maash, Moong, Masoor, Chana and Lobia, have registered an increase ranging between Rs 5 and Rs 10 per kg. Maash was available at Rs 150 per kg last week, which is currently being sold at Rs 160 per kg, while Moong is being sold at Rs 120 per kg against Rs 115 per kg. Masoor was being sold at Rs 120 against Rs 110 per kg, Chana at Rs 100 against Rs 90-95 per kg and Lobia at Rs 110 per kg against Rs 105 per kg. The survey showed that the price of Maash increased by Rs 10 per kg, Moong Rs 5 per kg, Masoor by Rs 10 per kg, Chana by Rs 5 per kg and Lobia Rs 5 per kg.
Guava is being sold at Rs 70 per kg, against Rs 60 per kg, orange at Rs 100-150 per dozen against Rs 80-120 per kg, banana at Rs 100-180 per dozen; apple depending on quality is being sold at Rs 150-200 per kg, strawberry at Rs 250 per kg while watermelon at Rs 300 per 5 kg. Peas are being sold at Rs 80 per kg, cucumber at Rs 40 per kg, okra at Rs 150-80 per kg, Kareela at Rs 100-120 per kg and Tinda at Rs 60 per kg. Traders at Rawalpindi/ Islamabad wholesale markets talking to this correspondent said that the prices of all the pulses and vegetables increased following the increase in petrol price.
The survey observed that the price of sugar was also witnessing an increasing trend over the past few weeks its price increased by Rs 10 per kg. Due to a rift between transporters and ghee makers, prices of cooking oil/ghee had increased by Rs 10 per kg last month. Now that the problem is over, but suppliers of ghee/cooking oil have not reduced the prices. They are still charging the same prices.
The survey also observed that prices of all textbooks of private English-medium schools and government schools had gone up between Rs 30 to Rs 40 per book. According to the booksellers'' price list, prices of books for nursery class is Rs 1,135; prep Rs 1,075, class-I Rs 1,300, class-II Rs 1,615, class-III and class-IV each Rs 1,790, class-V Rs 1,820, class-VI Rs 1,365, class-VII Rs 1,420 and class-VIII Rs 1,367. The bookseller estimated that the increase in price of books from nursery to class-VIII varied between Rs 300 and Rs 500.