Prices of majority of essential kitchen items 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 observed an increase in chicken, eggs, fruits, rice and vegetables prices. However, during the week under review, pulses' prices witnessed a decline, which over the past two months has reached record high levels.

Sugar and wheat flour prices also witnessed a decline as the government started supplying wheat to millers on government rates.

According to traders, pulses prices have started declining, saying, following the coronavirus outbreak and imposition of lockdown serious shortage of all the pulses was created, and prices skyrocketed as a result of closure of processing plants.

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

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

Similarly, the survey observed an increase in prices of rice, which went up from Rs160 per kg to Rs165 per kg for best quality of basmati, while broken best quality basmati rice is available at Rs100 per kg.

Price of lemon, one of the most used item during Ramazan and summer, has reached record high level at Rs1,800 per 5kg mark, which in retail are being sold at Rs400 per kg against Rs250 per kg a week ago.

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 Rs5,100 per 40kg to Rs7,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at 210 per kg against Rs160 per kg, while chicken meat is still available at Rs310 per kg against Rs250 per kg.

However, the government has fixed chicken price at Rs195 per kg and chicken meat at Rs290 per kg.

Similarly, shopkeepers are not following government issued price list for various commodities including fruits and vegetables.

Egg prices went up from Rs90 in wholesale to Rs95 per dozen which in retail is being sold at Rs105 per dozen against Rs100 per dozen.

There is no change in the prices of spices, salt, turmeric, red chillis, and fresh milk.

During the week under review, prices of most of the available pulses went down as Daal Moong is being sold at Rs275 per kg against Rs325 per kg, best quality Lobia witnessed no change, and is being sold at Rs230 per kg, Daal Maash went down from Rs280 per kg to Rs245 per kg, Daal Masoor went down from Rs175 per kg to Rs150 per kg, Chana went down from Rs170 per kg to Rs140 per kg. No changes were seen in the prices of normal quality Lobia, which is available in the range of Rs170 per kg to Rs180 per kg.

During the week, vegetables prices witnessed an increasing trend as price of onions went up from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs220 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs55 per kg against Rs50 per kg.