Prices of the essential kitchen items witnessed an increase during this week past as compared to preceding week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday. The survey observed that prices of essential kitchen items, crockery, clothing, stationery, books, medicines, transport fares, milk, LPG, bread and other items increased during the aforementioned period.
Traders at wholesale and retail markets told Business Recorder that increase in the electricity and gas tariffs also had a significant impact on prices of everything, adding that not only the cost of production but transportation cost had also gone up.
Price of a normal notebook increased from Rs 60-65 to Rs 80 per copy, normal Shalwar Qameez suit price increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,250 per suit, price of book set of class one increased from Rs 2,300 to Rs 3,000, fresh milk price jumped from Rs 100 per litre to Rs 115 per litre, normal bread from Rs 45 to Rs 55, a normal crockery set from Rs 4,500 to Rs 6,500 per set, minimum van fare increased from Rs 13 per passenger to Rs 16 per passenger.
The survey observed that during the week under review, prices of only egg, bitter gourd (Kareela) and tomatoes witnessed a decline while prices of the most of the kitchen items either went up or remained unchanged. Eggs were available at Rs 75 per dozen against Rs 78 per dozen which in retail market were being sold at Rs 82 per dozen against Rs 85 per dozen, tomatoes price went down from Rs 550 per 5kg to Rs 500 per 5kg which in retail market were being sold at Rs 120 per kg against Rs 130 per kg and bitter gourd price went down from Rs 700 per 5kg to Rs 500 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 130 per kg against Rs 160 per kg.
During the week under review, onion price further went up from Rs 200 per 5kg to Rs 230 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 60 per kg against Rs 50 per kg, and potatoes price went up from Rs 80 per 5kg to Rs 90-100 per 5kg which in retail market were being sold at Rs 25-30 per kg against Rs 20 per kg.
Local garlic prices went further up from Rs 650 per 5kg to Rs 800 per 5kg, which in retail market were being sold at Rs 220 per kg against Rs 160 per kg, Chinese garlic price went up from Rs 800 per 5kg to Rs 1,000 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 250 per kg against Rs 200 per kg. Local ginger price went up from Rs 850 per 5kg to Rs 950 per 5kg, which in retail market was being sold at Rs 240 per kg against Rs 200 per kg.
Capsicum price went up from Rs 350 per 5kg to Rs 450 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 110 per kg against Rs 85 per kg; yam (arvi) price remained stable at Rs 300 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 75 per kg; carrot price went up from Rs 130 per 5kg to Rs 250 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 60 per kg against Rs 30 per kg, radish price remained stable at Rs 130 per 8kg pack which in retail market was being sold at Rs 25 per kg, and peas price went up from Rs 225 per 5kg to Rs 275 per 5kg which in retail market were being sold at Rs 75 per kg against Rs 60 per kg.
Cucumber price went up from Rs 175 per 5kg to Rs 200 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 60 per kg against Rs 50 per kg, cauliflower price went up from Rs 200 per 5kg to Rs 230 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 60 per kg against Rs 50 per kg, cabbage price went up from Rs 100 to Rs 150 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 45 per kg against 30 per kg.
Okra price went up from Rs 650 per 5kg to Rs 750 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 180-190 per kg against Rs 160 per kg, brinjal price went up from Rs 200 to Rs 250 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 75 per kg against Rs 60 per kg and ridge gourd (tori) price went up from Rs 450 per 5kg to Rs 550 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 140 per kg against Rs 110 per kg. Pumpkin price went up from Rs 250 per 5kg to Rs 400 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 100 per kg against Rs 60 per kg, tinda price went up from Rs 300 per 5kg to Rs 400 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 100-120 per kg against Rs 70 per kg and beans price went up from Rs 375 per 5kg to Rs 450 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 110-120 per kg against Rs 90 per kg.
The survey observed no changes in the price of sugar, cooking oil, tea, spices, milk and rice during this week. Prices of all the major pulses remained stable as fine quality white lentil (Maash) was being sold at Rs 175 per kg while its normal quality was available at Rs 140 per kg, good quality grams at Rs 185 per kg and normal quality grams at Rs 140 per kg, kidney bean (Lobia) in the range of Rs 130-170 per kg, green gram (Moong) at Rs 120 per kg and red lentil (Masoor) was available at Rs 140 per kg.
Chicken in retail market was being sold at Rs 170 per kg against Rs 155 per kg, while chicken meat was being sold at Rs 300 per kg against Rs 280 per kg.
Overall fruit prices remained stable as Iranian Kala Kolo apple was available at Rs 225 per kg, golden apple at Rs 100 per kg, white apple at Rs 90 per kg, Ambri apple at Rs 85 per kg and Pakistani Kala Kolo apple was being sold at Rs 250 per kg.
Good quality local banana was being sold at Rs 100 per dozen, normal quality banana in the range of Rs 60-70 per dozen, while Indian banana was being sold at Rs 250 per dozen. Good quality guava was available at Rs 70 per kg and normal quality guava was being sold at Rs 45-55 per kg.