ISLAMABAD: Sugar, eggs and chicken prices have registered a significant increase over this week past as compared with the previous week, revealed a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday.

The survey noted an increase of Rs120 per 49.5 kg bag of sugar as the commodity price jumped from Rs4,600 per bag to Rs4,720 per bag which in retail crossing from Rs100 per kg mark reached to Rs103 per kg.

Similarly, chicken prices beating the previous record of all time high prices reached a new level of Rs9,400 per 40 kg from Rs9,000 per 40 kg set just a week ago. According to traders involved in chicken business, the prices are expected to cross Rs15,000 per 40 kg mark if the concerned authorities didn’t resolved the problems being faced by poultry producers.

Chicken prices in retail market increasing from Rs250 per kg reached to Rs270 per kg, while chicken meat price has raced to Rs460 per kg mark from Rs400 per kg also beating the previous record of Rs400 per kg. Egg prices in wholesales market jumped from Rs4,400 per carton to Rs4,800 per carton which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs165-170 per dozen against Rs155-160 per dozen.

Sugar, in retail, is being sold at Rs100/100 per kg against Rs96-100 per kg.

Besides, the prices of all the brands of detergents have witnessed an increase as one kg detergent price has increased from Rs300 per pack to Rs320 per pack. Basin price also increased from Rs3,800 per 40 kg to Rs5,000 per 40 kg. Traders told this correspondent that prices of all the pulses are on the rise as within past few weeks the all pulses’ rates have further increased. Moong pulse wholesales price has jumped from Rs7,600 per bag to Rs9,200 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs240 per kg against Rs200 per kg. Maash Pulse jumped from Rs9,600 per 40 kg bag to Rs10,600 per 40 kg which in retail is being sold at Rs280 per kg against Rs260 per kg, best quality lentil gram from Rs5,400 per 40 kg bag to Rs6,000 per 40 kg which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs160 per kg. Best quality bean lentil from Rs8,500 per 40 kg to Rs9,500 per 40 kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per kg against Rs225 per kg. Masoor pulse from Rs5,800 per 40 kg to Rs6,000 per 40 kg which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs160 per kg, and best quality whole gram from Rs5,400 per 40 kg to Rs6,000 per 40 kg which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs150 per kg.

Within past three months ghee and cooking oil prices have witnessed massive hike as best quality ghee / cooking oil prices have increased by Rs110 per kg and it has jumped up from Rs250 per kg Rs360 per kg. While B-grade ghee/cooking oil price has witnessed an increase of Rs70 per pack of 900 grams from Rs160 to Rs230 per pack.

Formula milk Nido price jumped from Rs 870 per pack of 900 grams to Rs960 per pack, moreover nestle company has also reduced the size of the pack from 1,000 gram to 900 gram, traders said. They said that small pack of the Nido milk price has also increased by Rs40 pack.

A comparison of the prevailing market prices with the prices computed by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed serious differences as PBS has mentioned sugar price at Rs96.68 per kg which in market on average is available at Rs100 per kg. Similarly PBS mentioned dalda ghee/cooking oil price Rs1,495 per 5kg tin while in market is being sold Rs1,565 per 5 kg tin.

PBS mentioned wheat flour price of Rs947.94 per 20 kg bag but in market it is available at Rs1,330 per 20 kg bag. Fresh milk price at Rs105.88 per kg while in market it is being sold at Rs125 per kg, cooked daal plate at average hotel is available at Rs95 per plate against PBS mentioned price of Rs77.37 per plate. Mutton in rural areas of Rawalpindi Islamabad is available at Rs1,100 per kg while PBS has mentioned it at Rs1,001.57 per kg, while in urban areas of the twin cities mutton is being sold at Rs1,250 per kg.

The survey noted that prices of the most of the vegetables witnessed an increase as tomatoes price went further up from Rs1175 per 5 kg to Rs180 per 5 kg in wholesales market which in retail are being sold at Rs50 per kg, onion price went up from Rs170 per 5 kg to Rs200 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs50 per kg against Rs45 per kg, potato price went up from Rs185 per 5kg to Rs200 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs50 per kg against Rs45 per kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021