ISLAMABAD: Prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a further increase during this week past as compared with the previous week, a survey carried out by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.
The survey noted an increase of Rs80 per carton of eggs which jumped from Rs5,200 per carton to Rs5,280 per carton, which in retail are being sold at Rs180 per dozen against Rs175 per dozen.
Chicken price witnessed a decline from Rs8,000 per 40kg to Rs7,600 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs220 per kg against Rs230 per kg, while chicken meat is being sold at Rs340 per kg against Rs360 per kg.
Beef with bones price remained unchanged at Rs650 per kg, boneless beef at Rs750 per kg, and mutton at Rs1,350 per kg.
The prices of an entire range of pulses witnessed an increase excluding moong, fine quality mash price jumped from Rs260 per kg to Rs280 per kg, best quality lentil from Rs180 per kg to Rs190 per kg.
Best quality bean lentil from Rs270 per kg to Rs280 per kg, masoor from Rs180 per kg to Rs190-200 per kg, best quality whole gram from Rs170 per kg to Rs180 per kg, and moong price declined from Rs185 per kg to Rs140 per kg.
Wheat flour price has witnessed a significant increase as ex-mill price of 20kg wheat flour bag has jumped from Rs1,220 per bag to Rs1,240, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,260 per bag against Rs1,240.
Rice prices also witnessed an increase as better quality rice price jumped from Rs5,800 per 40kg to Rs6,400 per 50kg bag the all-time high level.
Similarly ,normal quality rice prices also witnessed an increase of Rs250 per 50kg bag and at present, all the qualities of rice are being traded above the Rs5,000 mark per 50kg.
According to traders the increase in the petrol, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and CNG prices has also played an important role not only in increasing the prices of edible items but prices of all daily use items have also increased following an increase in transportation cost.
During the week under review, the government increased petrol and High Speed Diesel Oil prices by Rs5 per litre, which has forced the transporters to hike the fares in the range of 5-7 percent, which has immediately reflected in increasing the prices of all the goods.
Sugar price jumped from Rs5,250 per 50kg bag to Rs5,300 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs112 per kg, best quality ghee/cooking oil price jumped from Rs1,730 per 5 litre tin to Rs1,750 per 5 litre tin, while B-grade cooking oil prices have witnessed a significant increase as it jumped from Rs3,800 per 16 carton pack to Rs4,100 per 16 carton pack, which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per pack of 900grams against Rs250 per 900gram pack.
Since December 2020 ghee and cooking oil prices are on the rise as during this period the best quality ghee/cooking oil price has witnessed an increase of Rs114 per kg from Rs250 per kg to Rs360 per kg, while B-grade ghee/cooking oil price increased by Rs100 per pack of 900grams from Rs160 to Rs260 per pack.
Powder milk price remained unchanged at Rs1,090 per 900gram pack, fresh milk price is also unchanged at Rs140 per litre, yogurt at Rs150 per kg, packed milk such as Olpers and Milk Pak price at Rs1,750 per carton containing six packs.
Similarly, prices of all the brands of tea such as Lipton Yellow Label is stable at Rs995 per kg, best quality rice price is stable at Rs180 per kg, normal quality rice price at Rs130 per kg, and broken Basmati at Rs100 per kg.
Price of all the spices such as National, Shan, and Dewan are stable at Rs75 per pack of 43grams.
A comparison of the prevailing market and the prices computed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed serious differences as the PBS has mentioned sugar price at Rs108.43 per kg, while in the market, on an average, sugar is available at Rs112 per kg.
Similarly, PBS mentioned Daldaghee/cooking oil price at Rs1,738.48 per 5kg tin, while in the market it is being sold at Rs1,750 per 5kg tin.
The PBS mentioned wheat flour price of Rs1,234.18 per 20kg bag but in the market, it is available at Rs1,260 per 20kg bag.
Fresh milk price at Rs111.78 per kg, while in the market it is being sold at Rs140 per kg, cooked daal plate at an average hotel is available at Rs140 per plate against PBS mentioned price of Rs80.52 per plate, mutton in rural areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad is available at Rs1,250 per kg, while the PBS has mentioned it at Rs1,125.63 per kg, while in urban areas of the twin cities mutton is being sold at Rs1,360 per kg.
The PBS has mentioned beef with bones price at Rs554.19, while it is being sold in the range of Rs600/650 per kg, while boneless beef is available at Rs750 per kg.
Vegetables prices also witnessed an increasing trend as onions price jumped from Rs250 per 5kg to Rs300 per 5kg in the wholesale market, while in the retail market it is available at Rs70 per kg against Rs60 per kg.
Potato price jumped from Rs260 per 5kg to Rs280 per 5kg, which in the retail market was being sold at Rs65 per kg against Rs60 per kg.
Tomato price went down from Rs225 per 5kg to Rs200 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs50 per kg against Rs60 per kg.
Prices of various qualities of garlic went up from Rs700-1,300 per 5kg range to Rs750-1,350 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in the retail market are being sold at Rs190-300 per kg against Rs175-290 per kg.
Ginger price went down from Rs2,500 per 5kg to Rs2,200 per 5kg, which in the retail market is being sold at Rs430 per kg against Rs480 per kg.
Capsicum price went down from Rs630 per 5kg to Rs475 per 5kg, which in the retail market is being sold at Rs110 per kg against Rs150 per kg; Yam (arvi) price went up from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs220 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs55 per kg against Rs50 per kg, fresh bean price went down from Rs480 per 5kg to Rs350 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs90 per kg against Rs115 per kg, and price of marrokadu went up from Rs230 per 5kg to Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs130 per kg against Rs60 per kg.
Carrot price went up from Rs525 per 5kg to Rs600 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs140 per kg against Rs125 per kg, peas price went down from Rs1,000 per 5kg to Rs8,50 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs200 per kg against Rs220 per kg.
Tinda price went up from Rs400 per 5kg to Rs530 per 5kg, which in the retail market is being sold at Rs120 per kg against Rs100 per kg.
Cauliflower price went down from Rs400 per 5kg to Rs325 per 5kg, which in the retail market was being sold at Rs80 per kg against Rs95 per kg, cabbage price went up from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs250 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs60 per kg against Rs55 per kg.
Karela (bitter gourd) price went further up from Rs500 per 5kg to Rs600 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs140 per kg against Rs125 per kg.
No significant variations were witnessed in fruit prices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021