Prices of essential kitchens items have witnessed an increasing trend during this past week compared to the week before, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday.

The survey further found serious shortage of sugar, pulses, wheat flour and other government subsidized items on the Utility Stores outlets in various parts of the federal capital.

Moreover, it was also noted that the operators of Utility Stores outlets were selling sugar on market price i.e. Rs80 per kg against government fixed price of Rs68 per kg.

The survey observed an increase in price of fruit, some of the vegetables, chicken, sugar and wheat flour.

There is an acute shortage of most of the pulses since the imposition of lockdown, which according to traders is a result of closure down of pulses processing plants.

Traders said that this had taken the pulses prices out of the reach of the common man as Dal Moong price had crossed Rs300 per kg mark, Maash pulse price had hit all time record level of Rs280 per kg, and gram pulse Rs175 per kg.

Sugar prices went up from Rs3,920 per 50kg bag to Rs3,960 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs85 per kg against Rs83 per kg.

The survey observed an increase in the rice prices, which went up from Rs150 per kg to Rs160 per kg, while broken rice was available at Rs100 per kg as against Rs90 per kg before.

Wheat flour ex-mill price has jumped by Rs77 per 20kg bag, from Rs783 per bag to Rs860 per 20kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs880-890 per bag.

Meanwhile, the prices of Ramazan-specific items have remained on the high side due to shortage of supply, increase in demand, and profiteering-related issues.

Chicken price went up from Rs4,800 per 40kg to Rs5,100 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs150 per kg, while chicken meat is still available at Rs250 per kg.

There is no change in the prices of spices, salt, turmeric, red chillis, and fresh milk. Egg prices went down from Rs110 in wholesale to Rs90 per dozen, which in retail is being sold at Rs100-105 per dozen against Rs120 per dozen.

People talking to this correspondent said the prices of Ramazan-related items were already increased prior to the two weeks of Ramazan such as lemon, basin, pickles and beverages, but with the start of the holy month, prices of these Ramazan-specific items have witnessed a further increase.

Traders said that sugar and wheat flour millers had once against started increasing the prices of those crucial items.

They said that since the formulation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the sugar and flour millers had adopted a new way to make additional money, the millers for a couple of weeks keep commodity prices stable, and after that suddenly without any reason, increase the commodity price by up to Rs100 per 50kg bag and the trend continue for three weeks, after reaching price at 4,200 per 50kg bag the millers start reducing prices.

During the week under review, prices of most of the available pulses remained stable as Moong pulse is being sold at Rs325 per kg, best quality Lobia is available at Rs230 per kg, Maash pulse Rs280 per kg, Masoor pulse at Rs175 per kg, Chana pulse remained stable at Rs170 per kg, normal quality Lobia is available in the range of Rs170 per kg to Rs180 per kg.

During the week, vegetables price witnessed a mixed trend as price of onions went down from Rs250 per 5kg to Rs200 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs50 per kg against Rs65 per kg.

Tomato price went down from Rs220 per 5kg to Rs150 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs40 per kg against Rs50 per kg.

Potato price went up from Rs180 per 5kg to Rs275 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs65 per kg against Rs45 per kg.

Garlic price went up from Rs1,300 per 5kg to Rs1,320 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs350 per kg against Rs340 per kg, and ginger price also went up from Rs1,200 per 5kg to Rs1,250 per 5kg, which in retail market is still being sold at Rs350 per kg.

Overall fruit prices witnessed an increasing trend as best quality white apple price went up from Rs130 per kg to Rs160 per kg, while normal is available in the range of Rs125-140 per kg against Rs90-100 per kg, Pakistan Kalakilo apple price went further up from Rs170 per kg to Rs190 per kg, Iranian Kalakilo apple price went up from Rs180 per kg to Rs200 per kg, and golden apple price went further up from Rs150 per kg to Rs175 per kg. Good quality banana is being sold at Rs150 per dozen against Rs100 per dozen, normal quality banana at Rs100-120 per dozen as against Rs60-70, and lauqaat at Rs80 per kg.

Various qualities of oranges are available in the range of Rs90 per dozen to Rs200 per dozen as against Rs60-175 per dozen, strawberry price is stable at Rs100-150 per kg, and melons price went up from Rs6o per kg to Rs70 per kg.