ISLAMABAD: The prices of most of the essential kitchen items have witnessed a declining trend during this week past against the previous week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder, here on Saturday.
The survey observed sugar price in wholesale market is stable at Rs6,100 per 50kg bag, while in retail it is being sold at Rs135/140 per kg. Chicken prices went up from Rs14,000 to Rs14,200 per 40kg in the wholesale market, which is being sold at Rs380 against Rs375 per kg and chicken meat is available at Rs600 against Rs590 per kg.
Eggs’ price went down from Rs9,300 to Rs9,100 per carton of 30 dozen which in retail is being sold at Rs320 per dozen. Mutton and beef prices remained stable as normal quality mutton is available at Rs2,100 per kg, normal quality boneless beef at Rs1,250 per kg, and normal beef at Rs1,050.
Tea prices witnessed no changes as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,200 per 900 grams pack and Islamabad Tea is available at Rs1,800 per kg; turmeric powder price went down from Rs800 to Rs750 per kg and red chilli powder form Rs650 to Rs600 per kg.
Wheat flour prices witnessed an increase as the best quality flour is available at Rs1,380 against Rs1,350 per 15kg bag in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold at Rs1,430 against Rs1,380 per bag and normal quality wheat flour price went up from Rs1,320 to Rs1,350 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,390 against Rs1,340 per 15kg bag.
Pulses prices witnessed a mixed trend as in retail market the best quality maash is available at Rs520 against Rs580 per kg, gram pulse at Rs380 against Rs430, whole gram pulse at Rs350 against Rs370, various varieties of bean lentils are available in the range of Rs450-550 against Rs480-530 per kg, moong at Rs330 against Rs280 per kg, and masoor price at Rs300 against Rs275 per kg.
The prices of cooked food items went slightly up as a cooked daal/vegetable plate at a normal hotel is available at Rs320 against Rs310, cooked beef plate at Rs550, cooked chicken plate at Rs500 against Rs450, cooked mutton at Rs750 against Rs700 and naan/roti is being sold at Rs25/30.
The official price of LPG went up by Rs2.89 per kg from Rs251 to Rs254 per kg while in the market LPG is being sold at Rs310 per kg, which is Rs56 per kg higher than the OGRA’s set price of Rs254 per kg for November.
According to LPG traders, the LPG distributors and marketing companies are supplying them the commodity on higher prices as a result retailers are left with no option other than charging inflated rates from the consumers. According to the LPG traders, the LPG marketing companies are making billions of rupees profit by overcharging the consumers, while the OGRA and other relevant departments from federal government to provincial governments have totally ignored the enforcement of official commodity rate, which in next three months is likely to reach Rs400 per kg mark.
The prices of branded spices such as Shan, National, and others, witnessed an increase as a pack of 39 grams of spice is available at Rs140 against Rs130. Prices of the various varieties of rice remained stable as the best quality basmati rice in wholesale market is available at Rs11,000 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs300, normal quality Basmati at Rs9,000, which in retail is being sold at Rs270 per kg, and broken Basmati at Rs7,000 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs200.
Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed a mixed trend as B-grade ghee/oil price went up from Rs6,900 to Rs7,400 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs480 against Rs450 per pack of 900 grams, while best quality cooking oil/ghee brands such as Dalda ghee price is stable at Rs2,450 per 5kg tin and cooking oil at Rs2,500 against per 5-litre bottle. Prices of packed milk brands such as Milk Pak and Olpers remained steady at Rs90 per 250ml pack and Rs350 per litre. Fresh milk prices also remained stable at Rs230 per kg and yoghurt at Rs250 per kg. No changes were observed in the prices of powder milk such as Nido and Lactogen as 400gram Nido powder milk is available at Rs1,320 and 200gram pack at Rs700 per pack.
The survey observed no changes in bathing soaps prices other than Lux as family-size Safeguard and Dettol like soaps are available at Rs150 per pack, family size Lux at Rs140 against Rs130, and Ariel Surf at Rs570 per kg pack and Express Power at Rs560 per kg pack. The prices of various brands of cold drinks such as Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others remained stable as family-size bottle is available at Rs230.
Prices of most of the vegetables witnessed a decreasing trend. Ginger price went up from Rs2,100 to Rs2,500 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs570-630 against Rs550-600 per kg, local garlic price went up from Rs1,500 to Rs1,650 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs400-425 per kg and Quetta garlic price is stable at Rs2,200 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs575-600 per kg.
Potato prices went down from Rs250-400 to Rs230-350 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are still being sold in the range of Rs65-120; tomato price in wholesale market went down from Rs300-450 to Rs280-400 per 5kg, which in retail are still being sold in the range of Rs75-130, and onion price remained stable at Rs400-575 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs100-150 per kg.
Capsicum price is stable at Rs1,200 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs280-320, various varieties of pumpkin prices went down from Rs350-400 to Rs225-300 per 5kg in wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs75-180 against Rs90-100 ; various types of tinda prices went down from Rs350-500 to Rs200-400 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs65-120 against Rs100-170 per kg; eggplant price went down from Rs250 to Rs230 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs65-75 against Rs80-90 per kg; cauliflower price went down from Rs350 to Rs300 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs70-80 against Rs90-100 per kg and cabbage price went down from Rs250 to Rs180 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs60-70 per kg against Rs70-80 per kg. Bitter gourd price went up from Rs375 to Rs400 per 5kg which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs110-130 against Rs100-120 per kg, green chilli price is stable at Rs600-750 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs180-200 per kg, carrot price went down Rs450 to Rs350 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs90-100 against Rs120-130 per kg and cucumber price went down from Rs250 to Rs200 per 5kg, which in retail is still being sold at Rs65-70.
Yam price is stable at Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs130-150 per kg; turnip price went down from Rs350-400 to Rs230-250 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs70-80 against Rs90-110 per kg; peas price went down from Rs1,100 to Rs7,00 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs180-200 against Rs260-275 per kg; okra price is stable at Rs350 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs90-120, and fresh bean price went down from Rs7,00 to Rs550 which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs150-170 against Rs175-190 per kg, ridge gourd price went down from Rs600 to Rs450 per 5kg which in retail are being sold at Rs110-130 per kg against Rs140-160 per kg, radish price went down from Rs200 per 5kg to RS70 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs30-35 per kg against Rs70 per kg, spinach price went down from Rs200 to Rs80 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs30-40 per kg against Rs50-60 per kg.
Fruit prices witnessed a mixed trend as various types of local apples are available in the range of Rs90-250 per kg guava price went down from Rs90-160 against Rs70-130 per kg. Bananas are available in the range of Rs50-130 per dozen; new arrival various varieties of oranges are available in the range of Rs80-90 against Rs90-250 per dozen; Persimmon price went down from Rs200-300 to Rs180-250 per kg. Various varieties of grapes are being sold in the range of Rs150-330 against Rs280-400 per kg; pomegranates in the range of Rs200-300 per kg.
Business Recorder has noted a significant difference between the wholesale market prices, official prices fixed by market committees which consist of commissioners, Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Assistant Commissioners (ACs), the special price control magistrates, representatives of wholesalers, retailers and general public.
Whenever the retailers are mentioned they are overcharging the consumers and not following the official price list, they are arguing that some quantity of fruits, vegetables and other products they purchase from the wholesale market always remain rotten. For instance, DC office has fixed onion price at Rs93-132 per kg (with a profit margin of Rs15 per kg for retailers) while retailers are charging Rs100-150 per kg by making various excuses from some quantity was rotten to high transportation charges to high rents.
Consumers have blamed ineffective monitoring by commissioners, DCs, ACs, the special price control magistrates, and other relevant departments, consumers for artificial price hike. They said that people were left at the mercy of the vendors as they were free to charge their own prices of not only vegetables and fruits but of other items too.
They said one vendor was selling grapes in the range of Rs175-300 per kg and another at Rs250-500 per kg of same quality while the official price is Rs143-300 per kg; mutton on some shops was available at Rs2,000 per kg and same quality of mutton was being sold at Rs2,200 per kg at others; wheat flour was available at Rs1,420 per 15kg bag on one shop and another shopkeeper was selling the same quality of the commodity at Rs1,450. They urged the government to strictly enforce the official price list daily and weekly and prepare it in consultation with the respective traders unions and punish the violators.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024