PESHAWAR: Prices of daily use items like vegetables, pulses, sugar, flour, live chicken/meat are still high in the retail market despite reduction in fuel prices, said in a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday.
Buyers said authorities concerned failed to implement the recently issued official price-list and provide relief after massive reduction in prices of petroleum commodities. District administration issued a new price-list following an unprecedented cut in PoL prices by the caretaker government last week.
However, the implementation was nowhere in the city and vendors continuously squeezed buyers with self-imposed rates.
Prices of food items remain firm
A customer Wajid said the local administration was reluctant to take action against profiteers as no check was kept on rising prices. He asked the authorities to take pragmatic steps to pass on benefits of recent reduction in fuel prices. But traders and vendors viewed that they were charged consumers as per official price-list.
Ginger was still available at Rs800-900/kg while garlic was available at Rs350/kg, the survey noted. Price of tomatoes surged up as available at Rs80/kg and Rs 100/kg in the retail market. Price of onion has also increased from Rs80/kg to Rs100/kg. Prices of other veggies remained unchanged in the retail market.
According to the survey, peas was being sold at Rs350-400 and Rs450/kg, green pepper at Rs100/kg, okra Rs100/ kg, and curry Rs60/ kg and, Kachalu Rs110/ kg, Cauliflower at Rs150/ kg, turnip at Rs120/kg Eggplant (bringle) Rs100/ kg, Zucchini (tori) Rs120-150/ kg, Tenda Rs100/kg, lemon was being sold at Rs120/ kg.
Similarly, the Arvi was available at Rs150/kg, Karela (bitter gourd) at Rs100-120/kg, green chilly at Rs150/kg, cabbage at Rs150/kg, capsicum at Rs200/ kg, red-colored potatoes available at Rs80-100/ kg while white colored potatoes are sold at Rs70/kg in the retail market.
Decrease in price of live chicken prices was witnessed as available at Rs335 per /kg against Rs365/kg in the previous week in retail market. The price of farm eggs increased in the open market, available at Rs320/dozen against Rs300/dozen in the previous week.
Cow meat was available at Rs1000-900 per kilo while mutton was sold at Rs2200-2500 per kilo in the retail market, the survey added.
Prices of pulses/food grains remained unchanged in the local market.
Good quality rice (sela) was available at Rs340-350/kg, while low quality rice available at Rs320/kg, while tota rice was available at Rs160/kg and Rs180-200/ kg.
Price of dal mash was available at Rs570/kg, dal masoor at Rs320, dal chilka (black) at Rs320/kg, dal chilka (green) at Rs260/kg, moonge at Rs240/kg, dhoti dal at Rs320/kg, dal Channa at Rs280/- per kg, white lobiya at Rs260/kg, red bean at Rs560 per kg, Gram flour (baisen) at Rs280/kg, red bean from Rs450/kg, big-size white Channa at Rs450 /kg, small-size white channa from Rs400/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 kilogram in the local market.
The prices of the fruits, apples reached Rs350/kg, persimmon Rs230/kg and banana 170/dozen, guava Rs150/kg, grapes at Rs250-300 per kg.
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.
Prices of dry-milk, milk powder and baby milk, pampers and other baby items further increased in the retail market.
Sugar price remained steady at Rs160 per kilo in the retail market as no further decrease was witnessed in the wholesale market, the survey said.
Prices of flour remained unchanged in the wholesale and retail markets. A 20-kg fine flour bag cost Rs 2900, mixed brown flour at Rs 2600-2700 per 20-kg bag while an 80-kg fine flour bag was available at Rs 11,800 in the open market, it added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023