Prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a mixed trend during this past week as compared to the week before, a survey carried out by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.

The survey observed that most of the vegetables, wheat flour, chicken, and sugar prices witnessed a declining trend, and fruit and eggs prices witnessed an upward trend during the week. The prices of pulses went further up this week.

Chicken price went slightly down from Rs 4,700 per 40kg to Rs 4,500 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs135 per kg against Rs145 per kg, while chicken meat is available at Rs225 per kg.

Survey also observed a reduction in fresh milk prices but significant increase in powder chili and turmeric prices, which went up from Rs21,000 per 40kg to Rs32,000 per 40kg and from Rs9,000 per 40kg to Rs11,000 per 40kg respectively.

Wheat flour price has come down from Rs1,350 to Rs1,100 per 25kg bag, sugar price reduced to Rs3,900 per 50kg bag from Rs4,200 per 50kg bag.

Traders associated with the business of sugar and wheat flour told this correspondent that for three weeks, sugar millers and wheat flour millers kept on increasing the commodity prices as sugar price was increased from Rs3,860 per 50kg bag to Rs4,200 per 50kg bag and wheat flour price was increased from Rs1,060 per 20kg bag to Rs1,350. They said that now the prices of sugar and wheat flour had decreased to normal level but during the past three weeks wheat flour and sugar millers had earned billions of rupees by hoarding and increasing the prices of these two most used commodities.

During this week, prices of all the major pulses witnessed an increase as moong pulse price jumped further up from Rs300 per kg to Rs320 per kg, best quality lobia from Rs220 per kg to Rs230 per kg, maash pulse from Rs260 per kg to Rs265 per kg, masoor pulse price jumped further up from Rs170 per kg to Rs175 per kg, chana pulse remained stable at Rs170 per kg, normal quality lobia price jumped from Rs170 per kg to Rs180 per kg.

During the week, it was also observed that availability of sugar, wheat flour and pulses on government operated Utility Stores across the twin cities have been ensured, which for the past three weeks either remained unavailable or short owing to imposition of lockdown.

People talking to Business Recorder said that after the imposition of lockdown, the prices of the entire range of essential kitchen items significantly increased, adding that within the past few weeks, retail wheat flour prices jumped to Rs1,450 per 25kg bag from Rs1,100 per bag and sugar price reached Rs85-87 per kg from Rs80 per kg.

The people further said that the government had allowed profiteers and hoarders to make as much money as they could by increasing the prices on their own as the government was just making announcements and not taking any action against the culprits.