Essential items: big rise in prices puts more burden on consumers

The prices of major essential items including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), eggs, milk powder, firewood, tomatoes and wheat flour registered increase during last week as compared to the preceding week, according to a survey conducted by Business Recorder.
Traders and wholesalers at different markets of Rawalpindi/Islamabad said that LPG prices increased by Rs 5 per kg, putting more burden on consumers. Similarly, the price of eggs increased by Rs 10 per dozen. At present one dozen eggs are available at Rs 106 against previous week's Rs 96 per dozen.
This week LPG marketing companies raised the price by Rs 5 per kg, Rs 60 per domestic cylinder and Rs 240 per commercial cylinder, saying that prices of the commodity had increased in the international market. Zawaj Abbasi, an LPG retailer, said that in international market the commodity price had registered an increased of $14 per ton, while local producers like OGDC), Parco and Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited (JJVL) increased LPG price by Rs 1381 per ton, which indicates that the commodity price has witnessed an increase of Rs 1.3 per kg or Rs 16 per domestic cylinder, but the LPG mafia jacked up the price by Rs 5 per kg or Rs 60 per domestic cylinder.
The producers are supplying LPG to marketing companies at Rs 80,862 per ton, which shows that LPG price is around Rs 81 per kg, while marketing companies are supplying this gas to the end consumers at Rs 140-150 per kg, which shows that they are earning about Rs 60-70 per kg.
It was noted that tomatoes were being sold at Rs 60 per kg, which were available last week at Rs 55-60 per kg, onions are being sold at Rs 50 per kg against last week price of Rs 45 per kg, ginger at Rs 180 per kg against Rs 160 per kg last week and garlic at Rs 220 per kg against Rs 200 last week. The prices of eggs are continuously soaring with the onset of winter, which at present are being sold at Rs 93 in wholesale markets, while in retail shops eggs are available between Rs 100-110 per dozen.
Restaurants are selling a boiled egg for Rs 15 and fried egg for Rs 18. The prices of eggs are increasing by Rs 2-3 per day. One dozen eggs were available for Rs 68-70 two weeks ago. However, wholesale dealers say that prices have increased because of a wide gap between supply and demand in the winter season.
Talking to Daily Business Recorder people belonging to different walks of life said that every year during winter season wholesalers are increasing eggs prices by 100 percent. The majority of families eat eggs in the breakfast, particularly in the winter season, but the majority of people could not afford to buy them, they said. At present, green chillies are being sold at Rs 130 per kg against Rs 100-110 per kg last week and cauliflower at Rs 50 per kg against Rs 35-40 per kg.
With the arrival of new rice and sugarcane crops in the market the prices of the rice and sugar have sharply declined. Sugar is now being sold at Rs 62 per kg in the retail market while in the wholesale market the commodity is available at Rs 55 per kg. The prices of an entire range of pulses, gur, desi shakar, sugar Irri-6 rice, Basmati-386 and Basmati broken were stable in the market.