PESHAWAR: The prices of live chicken/ meat, pulses, vegetables, flour, cooking oil/ ghee, sugar and other food items have gone up in the local market, according to a survey carried out by Business Recorder on Sunday.
The price of live chicken has gone up to Rs385 from Rs365 per kilogram in the local market, while butchers are charging self-imposed rates with the boneless cow meat being sold at Rs800 per kg and with bone at Rs700 a kg against the official fixed price of Rs350 per kg.
The price of mutton has also skyrocketed, as it is being sold at Rs1800-2000 per kg. Similarly, the price of farm eggs is on the higher side as they are being sold at Rs300-320 per dozen in the market.
Non-farm eggs on the other hand are being sold at Rs500 and Chinese eggs at Rs400 a dozen.
Buyers have been complaining continuously about overcharging by shopkeepers in the wholesale as well as retail markets in the absence of efforts to check prices by the authorities concerned.
A buyer by the name of Wajid, who was visiting shops on the Ashraf Road to buy wheat flour, told this reporter that rising food inflation has broken the back of poor people. He said no one is checking the prices imposed arbitrarily by vendors and shopkeepers in the provincial capital.
The latest survey has revealed that the prices of pulses and different grains have increased by Rs10 to Rs40 per kilo in about a week when the last survey was conducted.
The price of good quality (sela) rice has increased to Rs320 from Rs300 per kg, while low–quality rice is available at Rs290-300 against a price of 260-280 per kilogram last week.
The price of daal maash has increased from Rs400 per kg to Rs420/kg, daal masoor from Rs280 to Rs320, daal chhilka (black) from Rs260 to Rs280, daal chilka (green) from Rs220 to Rs240, daal moong from Rs230 to Rs240, dhoti daal from Rs240 to Rs280, white lobiya from Rs220 to Rs240, gram flour (besan) from Rs260 to Rs280, big-size white channa from Rs350 to Rs380, and small-size white channa from Rs250/kg to Rs280 per kilogram. Daal channa is being sold at Rs280 per kg.
An increase of Rs10 to Rs20 per kg/ litre was also seen in the prices of cooking oil/ ghee of various brands and quality.
The price of flour is also high both in the wholesale and retail markets. A 20kg bag of fine flour is available at Rs2200 while that of mixed flour is being sold at Rs2100. A similar bag is available at government-controlled shops and subsidised sale points in the city at Rs1700 to Rs1800. However, some consumers complained that the commodity is not available at many such outlets.
Fine and mixed flour is being sold at Rs120-150 per kg in the retail market.
Red apple imported from Afghanistan is being sold at Rs250-300 per kg, golden apple at Rs200, pomegranate at Rs200-250, guava at Rs150 a kg, orange at Rs150-200 per dozen, fruiter at Rs100-120 per dozen, kinnow at Rs150-200 per dozen, and Banana at Rs90-100 per dozen.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023