Prices of essential food commodities, including vegetable, pulses, chicken meat, eggs, and others have remained high-side in the retail market, said in a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday. Shopkeepers in the provincial metropolis Peshawar have charged consumers with artificial rates of important daily use items as local administration had failed to implement official price list with letter and spirit in local market.
During the visit in local market, it was witnessed that most of the vendors are also not displaying official price list at their outlets due to which they were squeezing poverty-stricken masses by charging manifold prices of essential food commodities.
Price of good quality rice (sela) is being sold at Rs 150 per kilogram against the official price of Rs 130 per kilogram in retail market. While toota rice is being available at Rs80 per kilogram against the official price of Rs70 per kilogram.
A slight increase in price of dal mash was noticed in retail market as available at Rs 140 per kilogram against the price of Rs 134 per kg in the previous week. Dal masoor priced at Rs90 per kilogram and dhoti dal is being sold at Rs 120 per kilogram.
Similarly, the price of dal channa is remained unchanged in retail market as available at Rs 130 per kilogram. A nominal increase in price of dal chilka (green) was witnessed as being sold at Rs 130 per kilogram against the rate of Rs 120 per kilogram in the previous week.
However, the price of red bean (Tajikistan) had decreased at Rs 120 per kilogram which was selling at Rs 130 per kg in the previous week. Rs 10 per kilogram reduction in price of white big-size channa was noticed in retail market as being sold at Rs 130 per kilogram against the price of Rs 140 per kilogram in the preceding week. Big-size moonge is being sold at Rs 140 per kilogram while small-size moonge priced at Rs 120 per kilogram in retail market.
Price of gram flour (baisen) had gone up at Rs 130 per kilogram which was selling at Rs 120 per kilogram in the previous week. A slight increase in price of sugar was also witnessed in retail market as available at Rs60 per kilogram which was selling at Rs56 per kilogram in the previous week.
According to the survey, prices of all brand/quality cooking oil and ghee were remained unchanged in retail market as available within range of Rs 150, Rs 170, Rs 180 and Rs 200 per litre/kilogram.
Instability in prices of chicken meat was witnessed. Chicken meat is being sold at Rs 136 per kilogram in the retail market. A dozen of farm eggs are being sold at Rs 120 per kilogram. Cow meat is priced at Rs350 and Rs400 per kilogram in retail market. Mutton beef is being sold at Rs750-800 per kilogram.
As per market survey, tomato is being sold at Rs30-40 per kilogram, while onion priced at Rs40 per kilogram in retail market. Ginger is being available at Rs 200 per kilogram, Chinese garlic is being sold at Rs 120 per kilogram while locally produced garlic available at Rs60 per kilogram.
Likewise, the survey said that capsicum is being available at Rs80 per kilogram, bringle at Rs40 per kilogram, peas at Rs50-60 per kg, arvi at Rs50 per kilogram, cabbage at Rs40 per kilogram, cauliflower at Rs50 per kilogram. Green chili is being sold at Rs80 per kilogram, lemon at Rs60 per kilogram.
It added red potato is being sold at Rs70 per kilogram, while other at Rs30-40 per kilogram. It added that turnip is available at Rs40 per kilogram. Apple gourd, bottle gourd and ridge gourd prices range between Rs50-80 per kg in retail market.
Fresh milk is being sold at Rs90-100 per litre against the official fixed rate of Rs80 per litre. Yogurt is available at Rs90-100 per kilogram. According to the survey, the prices of fruits were sky-high in the local market. Apple is being sold at Rs80-100 and Rs 150 per kilogram, pomegranate at Rs 120-140 per kilogram, orange at Rs80-100 per dozen, kinnow at Rs50-60 per dozen, banana at Rs50-60 per dozen.