The prices of essential food items, including vegetable, pulses, chicken meat, eggs, sugar and others, registered a declining trend, giving a sign of relief to the poverty-stricken masses. According to a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday, a downward trend in prices of daily use items was continued in the retail market, despite that buyers have complained that shopkeepers are still squeezing them by charging high rates. They urged the authorities concerned to implement official rates of commodities with letter and spirit in local markets.
The survey noticed that price of chicken meat has decreased at Rs 163 per kilogram which was selling at Rs 170 a few days ago. Rs 10 also decreased in price of farm eggs as available at Rs 120 per dozen against rate of Rs 130 per dozen in the previous week. However, the cow meat is remained high-side, which being sold at Rs 350 and Rs 400 per kilogram, while mutton beef priced at Rs 700-800 per kilogram. A reduction in prices of vegetable was also witnessed in retail market, the survey noticed. Five kilogram tomatoes is being sold at Rs 100 per kilogram which was selling at Rs 150 (five kg) in the previous week.
The survey further said onion is priced at Rs 150 (five kg) against the rate of Rs 120 (five kg) in retail market. Chinese garlic is being sold at Rs 120 per kilogram while locally produced garlic priced at Rs 50 and 60 per kilogram in local market. Red coloured potato is being sold at Rs 90 per kilogram while other available at Rs 30-40 per kilogram. However, vendors, selling potatoes at pushcart is being sold at Rs 20 per kilogram.
Cucumber is being sold at Rs 40 per kilogram. Lemon is being sold at Rs 80-Rs 100 per kilogram. Green chili is available at Rs 80 per kilogram. Price of peas had decreased at Rs 30 per kilogram from Rs 50 per kilogram. Also, a slight decrease was witnessed in price of capsicum as available at Rs 70 per kilogram against the rate of Rs 100 per kg in the previous week. Arvi priced at Rs 40 per kilogram, cauliflower at Rs 30 per kilogram, cabbage at Rs 40 per kg. Bringle is being sold at Rs 30 per kilogram, turnip at Rs 20 per kg. Apple gourd, bottle gourd and ridge gourd prices range between Rs 50-80 per kg in retail market.
A mixed trend in prices of pulses prevailed in retail market, the survey noticed. It said that white big channa is being sold at Rs 130 per kilogram against the price of Rs 140 per kilogram in the previous week. Good quality rice (sela) is being sold at Rs 135 per kilogram, which was selling at Rs 140 per kilogram. However, it added that price of toota rice is still high-side as available at Rs 80 per kilogram.
Dal channa priced at Rs 110 per kilogram against the price of Rs 120 per kilogram. Price of dal mash remained unchanged as available at Rs 120 per kilogram. Dal masoor is being sold at Rs 80 per kilogram against the rate of Rs 90 per kg. The survey further said that dhoti Dal is available at Rs 98 per kilogram against the rate of Rs 100 per kilogram in the last week. Dal masoor priced at Rs 75 per kilogram Dal chilka (green) is available at Rs 100 per kilogram against the price of Rs 120 per kilogram.
Dal chilka (black) is being sold at Rs 90 per kilogram, which was selling at 100 per kg. White bean is available at Rs 120 per kg, while the price of red bean has also decreased as being sold at Rs 100 and Rs 110 against the rate of Rs 120 per kilogram. Gram flour (baisen) is being sold at Rs 118 per kilogram against the price of Rs 120 per kilogram in the previous week. Prices of all brand/quality cooking oil and ghee have also increased as available within range of Rs 150 and Rs 170, and Rs 190 and Rs 200 per litre/kg.
Prices of fruits are sky-high in retail market, as one kilogram red coloured apple is being sold at Rs 150 per kilogram, golden coloured at Rs 80, grapes at Rs 120 and Rs 150 per kg, guava at Rs 60-80 per kg, persimmon at Rs 100 per kilogram, pomegranate at Rs 100-150 per kilogram, banana is being sold at Rs 50-60 per dozen in the retail market.