PESHAWAR: Upward trend in prices of essential food commodities, including vegetables, sugar, pulses, live chicken/meat, fruits, cow meat, dry-milk, milk-powder, cooking oil/ghee and others witnessed in the retail market, said in a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday.

According to a survey, the price of ginger has increased at Rs1100/kg against the price of Rs850/ kilo in the previous week.

One kg of garlic was available at Rs380/kg against the price of Rs250-300/kilo in the last week, it added.

Buyers while talking to this scribe here in the local market complained that prices are beyond their purchasing but the local administration / authorities had kept mum over the rising prices and were reluctant to take strict action against the profiteers and hoarders in the city.

The shoppers said the local administration failed to implement an official price-list in the local markets. Shopkeepers were openly defying and didn’t display an official price-list in some areas in the provincial capital, say buyers.

Likewise, the survey said a one kg tomato was available at Rs130/kilo, green pepper at Rs80/kilo, okra Rs80/ kilo, and curry Rs40/kg and, Kachalu Rs110/ kilo, Cauliflower at Rs160/ kilo, Eggplant (bringle) Rs90/ kilo, Zucchini (tori) Rs130/ kilo, Tinda Rs100/kg, lemon was being sold at Rs160/kg.

Similarly, one-kg peas was available Rs280-300/kg, Arvi at Rs200/kg, Karela (bitter gourd) at Rs150/kg, green chilly at Rs200/kg, cabbage at Rs100/kg, capsicum at Rs 100-150/- per kg, red-colored potatoes available at Rs 80-100/- per kg while white-colored potatoes are sold at Rs50/- per kg in the retail market.

Sugar was available at Rs 145-150/ kilo in the retail market.

According to the survey, live chicken/meat prices further decreased in the local market as available at Rs405 per kilo which was selling at Rs410 per kilo in the previous week, the survey revealed.

Cow meat was available at Rs700-800 per kilo while mutton beef was sold at Rs1800-2000 and Rs2200 per kilo in the retail market, the survey added.

However, the survey said the price of farm eggs remained unchanged as being sold at Rs240/dozen in the retail market.

According to the survey, prices of all brands and qualities of beverages also remained high in the local market. Black tea was being sold at Rs1400-1500 per kg, the survey added.

Likewise, the survey said prices of dry-milk, milk powder and baby milk, pampers and other baby items further increased in the retail market.

Similarly, the survey said prices of pulses/food grains remained unchanged in the local market.

According to the survey, a good quality (sela) was available at Rs320-330/kg, while low quality rice available at Rs300/kg against price of Rs280/ kg, while tota rice was available at Rs160/kg and Rs180-200/kg.

Similarly, the survey said price of dal mash was available at Rs420/kg, dal masoor at Rs320, dal chilka (black) at Rs280/kg, dal chilka (green) at Rs240/kg, moonge at Rs240/kg, dhoti dal at Rs280/kg, dal channa at Rs280/- per kg, white lobiya at Rs240/kg, Gram flour (baisen) at Rs280/kg, red bean from Rs300/kg, big-size white channa at Rs38o/kg, small size white channa from Rs250/kg to Rs280/kg.

Chemical-mixed milk was available at Rs160-180 and others Rs200-210 per litre while yogurt was being sold at Rs180-200 and Rs220 per kg in the local market, the survey added.

Fruits prices are sky-rocketed in the local market, according to the survey. The prices of the apple reached Rs350/kg, Mango Rs 150-200/kg and Peach Rs200/kg, persimmon Rs230/kg and banana 170/dozen.

The survey noted the flour prices remained unchanged in the local as well as wholesale market. A 20-kg fine flour bag cost Rs 2,900, mixed brown flour at Rs 2,600-2,700 per 20-kg bag while an 80-kg fine flour bag was available at Rs 11,800 in the open market.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023