ISLAMABAD: The prices of the essential kitchen items remained stable during this week as compared to the prices of previous week, a survey carried out by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.
The survey observed no change in the prices of cooked food items at restaurants, which were increased by the hotel operators last week. Price of normal roti (round bread) remained unchanged at Rs12, daal (lentil) plate at Rs140, plate of cooked vegetables at Rs130, and a cup of tea at Rs35.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices also remained unchanged at Rs180 per kg; domestic cylinder at Rs2,625 per cylinder and commercial cylinder price at Rs8,080 per cylinder.
Sugar price remained stable at Rs5,100 per 50kg bag in wholesale market, which in retail was being sold at Rs110-112 per kg. The price of eggs came down from Rs4,700 per carton to Rs4,200 per carton that in retail are being sold at Rs150 per dozen against previous rate of Rs170 per dozen.
Chicken price witnessed a further reduction as it went down from Rs5,400 per 40kg to Rs4,800 per 40kg,the record low level of the past one year in wholesale market. However in retail market chicken is being sold at Rs140 per kg against the previous rate of Rs160 per kg, and chicken meat is being sold at Rs220 per kg against Rs250 per kg. The reduction in chicken prices is due to low sales after Eidul Azha.
Ghee and cooking oil prices which kept on witnessing an increasing trend during past many months remained unchanged during this week, as a result good quality ghee/cooking oil like Dalda ghee/cooking oil was being sold at Rs1,720 per a 5-litre tin. The price of B-grade ghee/cooking price remained stable which last week witnessed an increase from Rs3,500 per 16-pack carton to Rs3,800 per carton, while in retail was being sold at Rs255-260 per 900gram pack.
Since December 2020, the price of the quality ghee/cooking oil price has witnessed an increase of Rs110 per kg from Rs250 per kg to Rs360 per kg, while B-grade ghee/cooking oil price increased by Rs90 per pack of 900 grams from Rs160 to Rs250 per pack.
Wheat flour price; however, remained stable at Rs1,130 per 20kg bag in the wholesale market. The government-subsidised wheat flour is not being supplied to the open market.
No changes were observed in prices of packed milk such as Milk Pak and Olper, which is available at Rs42.5 per pack and at Rs160 per a litre pack.
Fresh milk and yogurt prices also remained unchanged at Rs140 per kg and Rs150 per kg, respectively.
Prices of the various brands of rice remained unchanged during this week as the best quality Basmati rice was available at Rs6,800 per 40kg bag, which in retail was being sold at Rs180 per kg, while normal quality rice brands were being sold from Rs80 per kg to Rs120 per kg.
Pulses prices remained unchanged during this week as maash was available at Rs8,600 per 40kg bag, which in retail was being sold at Rs240 per kg. The best quality lentil pulse was being sold at Rs5,350 per 40kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs160 per kg. Best quality bean lentil was being sold at Rs8,400 per bag, which in retail was being sold at Rs230 per kg. Masoor was being sold at Rs5,300 per 40kg bag, which in retail was being sold at Rs150 per kg. The best quality whole gram was being sold at Rs5,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail was being sold at Rs160 per kg. However, moong was being sold at Rs6,500 per 40kg, which in retail was available at Rs170 per kg.
A comparison of the prevailing market prices with the prices computed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed serious differences as the PBS has mentioned sugar price at Rs105.19per kg, while in the market on average sugar is available at Rs110 per kg.
Similarly, the PBS mentioned Dalda ghee/cooking oil price at Rs1,689per 5kg tin, while in the market it is being sold Rs1,720 per 5kg tin.
The PBS mentioned wheat flour price at Rs1,133.46 per 20kg bag but in the market it is available at Rs1,150 per 20kg bag.
Fresh milk price as PBS was Rs111.35 per kg, while in the market it was being sold at Rs140 per kg. A cooked daal plate at an average quality hotel was available at Rs140 against the PBS mentioned price of Rs80.52. Mutton in rural areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad was available at Rs1,250 per kg while the PBS mentioned it at Rs1,119.96 per kg, while in urban areas of the twin cities the mutton was being sold at Rs1,360 per kg.
The PBS has mentioned the price of beef with bones at Rs543.93, while it was actually being sold in the range of Rs600/650 per kg, while boneless beef was available at Rs750 per kg.
Overall vegetables prices witnessed a mixed trend as potato price remained stable at Rs240 per 5 kg, which in retail was still being sold at Rs55 per kg. The price of tomatoes went down from Rs350 per 5kg to Rs300 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail was being sold at Rs70 per kg. The onion price also remained stable at Rs230 per 5kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs55 per kg.
Ginger price was stable at Rs1,750 per 5kg, which in the retail market was being sold at Rs400 per kg and Quetta-garlic price went down from Rs1,100 per 5kg to Rs950 per 5kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs250 per kg against Rs275 per kg.
Pumpkin price was stable at Rs300 per 5kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs70 per kg. Okra price went up from Rs275 per 5kg to Rs300 per 5kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs75 per kg against previous rate of Rs70 per kg.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021