Food items' prices surge during October

ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: Prices of most of the essential kitchen items have touched record high in the market, during October till 26 .Cauliflower price has crossed Rs 80 per kg mark in the wholesale market while in retail it is being sold at Rs 90-100 per-kg.

A survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday shows that prices of an entire range of vegetables including onions, tomato, potato, okra, lemon, ginger, garlic, capsicum (Simla Mirch), cabbage, green peas, radish (Mooli) and carrot have been out of reach of the poor masses.

Eggplant (baingan) was the cheapest at Rs 20 per kg in wholesale and Rs 30 in retail t, while ginger was the costliest at Rs 300 per kg in wholesale and Rs 360-400 per kg in retail.

Onion was available at Rs 60 per kg in wholesale and at Rs 80 per kg in retail; tomato at Rs 80 in wholesales and at Rs 100 per kg in retail, potato was available at Rs 50 per in wholesale, while at Rs 60 in retail t, okra at Rs 50 in wholesale and Rs 60-70 in retail, lemon at Rs 60 in wholesale and Rs 80 in retail, ginger at Rs 300 in wholesale and Rs 360-400 in retail market

Likewise garlic was being sold at Rs 100 in wholesale and Rs 160 in retail, capsicum at Rs 50 in wholesale and Rs 70 in retail, cabbage at Rs 50 in whole sale t and Rs 60-70 in retail, green peas at Rs 100 in wholesale and Rs 130 in retail and radish at Rs 15 in wholesale and Rs 25 in retail.

Carrot prices have also touched record high which in wholesale market was available at Rs 50 per kg and Rs 70 per kg in retail market.

Egg price has also witnessed an increase of Rs 10 per dozen from Rs 110 per dozen to Rs 120 per dozen, live chicken price increased by Rs 20 per kg from Rs 140 per kg to Rs 160 per kg and chicken meat registered an increase of Rs 30 per kg from Rs 250 per kg to Rs 280 per kg.

Prices of most of the pulses, however, are stable in the market, while sugar price has soared by Rs 3 per kg from Rs 60 per kg to Rs 63 per kg, per 20 kg bag of wheat flour is being sold at Rs 810 and per kg good quality rice is available at Rs 150 per kg. Prices of almost all essential kitchen items, particularly perishable commodities remained on the high side even after Eidul Azha

Traders and wholesalers in different markets of the twin cities told Business Recorder that recent hike in the prices of kitchen items would continue in the coming days.

They added that steep increase was also witnessed in the prices of fresh milk and curd as fresh milk was available at Rs 110 per liter, while curd was being sold at Rs 115 per kg last week as compared to the preceding week.

Considerable increase was also noted in fruits prices last week as compared to the preceding week, as banana was available at Rs 100-140 per dozen against Rs 80-120 per dozen last week, registering an increase of Rs 20 per dozen, apple at Rs 100-250 against Rs 100-200 per kg, pomegranate is being sold at Rs 120 per kg, grapes at Rs 250 per kg and guava at Rs 60-80 per kg.