Prices of essential kitchen items witnessed an increase during this week past as compared to previous week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday. Traders at wholesale markets of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, which supplies an entire range of food items and other daily use items to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pothohar region, told this correspondent that in coming weeks prices of ghee/cooking oil, tea, detergents, milk, spices, pulses, sugar and other items are likely to jump up owing to escalated cost of production and depreciation of Pakistani rupee against the US dollar.

The survey observed that onions price went up from Rs 375 per 5kg to Rs 400 per 5kg which were being sold at Rs 90-95 per kg against Rs 90-85 per kg in retail market, tomatoes price went up from Rs 250 to Rs 275 per 5kg which were being sold Rs 65-70 per kg against Rs 60 per kg and potatoes' price remained unchanged at Rs 220 per 5kg which were being sold at Rs 50-55 per kg.

Garlic price went up from Rs 800 per kg to Rs 850 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 250 per kg against Rs 230 per kg, Chinese garlic price went up from Rs 750 per 5kg to Rs 900 per 5kg which in retail market was available at Rs 275 per kg against Rs 225 per kg and ginger price went up from Rs 1,475 per 5kg to Rs 1,500 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 325 per kg against Rs 310 per kg. Lemon price remained stable at Rs 400 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 100 per kg.

Maroo kaddu price went up from Rs 300 to Rs 500 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 125-140 per kg against Rs 75-80 per kg, radish price remained stable at Rs 200 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 50 per kg, Chinese carrot price went up from Rs 250 to Rs 300 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 75 per kg against Rs 60-70 per kg, and yam price remained stable at Rs 375 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 80-90 per kg.

Peas price went up from Rs 900 per 5kg to Rs 1,200 per 5kg which in retail market were being sold at Rs 250 per kg against Rs 200 per kg, beans price went down from Rs 500 per 5kg to Rs 400 per 5kg which in the retail market were being sold at Rs 110 per kg against Rs 130 per kg, tinda price remained stable at Rs 500 per kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 125 per kg; and brinjal price went up from Rs 200 per 5kg to Rs 300 per 5kg which in retail market was being sold at Rs 80 per kg against Rs 50-60 per kg. Turnip price went up from Rs 250 to Rs 300 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 75-80 per kg against Rs 65-70 per kg.

Capsicum price went up from Rs 650 to Rs 800 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 180-200 per kg against Rs 160-150 per kg; cucumber price went up from Rs 200 to Rs 250 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 65-70 per kg against Rs 55-60 per kg; cauliflower price further went up from Rs 300 per 5 kg to Rs 330 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs Rs 80-85 per kg against Rs 75-65 per kg; cabbage price remained stable at Rs 200 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 50 per kg, and green zucchini (tori) price went up from Rs 350 per 5 kg to Rs 375 per 5kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 95-100 per kg against Rs 90 per kg.

Prices of various qualities of pumpkin remained stable in the range of Rs 300-350 per 5 kg which were being sold in the range of Rs 70-90 per kg; okra price went down from Rs 300 per 5kg to Rs 250 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 65-70 per kg against Rs 80 per kg; and kareela price remained stable at Rs 500 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 140 per kg.

Egg price went up from Rs 106 to Rs 110 per dozen which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 125 per dozen against Rs 120 per dozen, chicken price went down from 6,000 per 40 kg to Rs 5,700 per 40 kg which in the retail market was being sold at Rs 160 per kg against Rs 175 per kg while chicken meat was being sold at Rs 260 per kg against Rs 280 per kg.

Overall fruit prices witnessed an increasing trend as golden apple was being sold at Rs 150 per kg against Rs 140 per kg, Gaja apple was available at Rs 120 per kg against Rs 140 per kg, and Ambri apple at Rs 120 per kg against Rs 100 per kg, Pakistani Kala Kolo apple at Rs 150 per kg against Rs 170 per kg and Iranian apple was being sold at Rs 160 per kg against Rs 200 per kg. Good quality local banana was being sold at Rs 90 per dozen against Rs 75 per dozen while normal quality banana was being sold in the range of Rs 50-65 per dozen against Rs 45-55 per dozen, and guava was available at Rs 100 per kg against Rs 90 per kg.

Various brands of peaches were available in the range of Rs 150-200 per kg against Rs 100-175 per kg. Grapes were being sold in the range of Rs 100-225 per kg, sweet orange was available at Rs 150-225 per dozen against Rs 120-175 per dozen, and pomegranates were being sold in the range of Rs 140-160 per kg against Rs 175-200 per kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019