Daily use items' prices depict a rising trend

ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: The prices of daily use items, especially vegetables, poultry items, shoe polish, pulses, wheat flour, spices and fruits, witnessed an increase during the current week against last week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder on Saturday.

A survey carried out by this correspondent in various markets of Islamabad and Rawalpindi showed that tomato prices registered an increase of Rs40 per kg against last week's prices, Shimla Mirch Rs50 per kg, okra Rs30 per kg. Shoe polish showed a rise of Rs10 per packet, onions Rs10 per kg, pomegranate Rs50 per kg, wheat flour Rs3 per kg and green chillies Rs40 per kg. Live chicken Rs10 per kg, chicken meat Rs20 per kg and the entire range of pulses Rs 5-10 per kg.

Last week tomatoes, Shimla Mirch, potato, Arvi, green chillies, cabbage, cauliflower, cherry shoe polish, live chicken, chicken meat, pomegranate, orange, onions, ginger, garlic, lemon and eggs were being sold at Rs60 per kg, Rs60 per kg, Rs30 per kg, Rs50, Rs120-130 per kg, Rs35, Rs40 per kg, Rs55 per packet, Rs 160 per kg, Rs280 per kg, Rs250 per kg, Rs100-150 per dozen, Rs160 per kg, Rs180 per kg, Rs120 per kg, and Rs72 per dozen, respectively. During the week under review, tomatoes are being sold at Rs100 per kg, Shimla Mirch Rs80 per kg, potatoes Rs35 per kg and green chillies were being sold at Rs160 per kg. Cabbage were being sold at Rs40 per kg, cauliflower Rs45-50 per kg, live chicken Rs170 per kg, chicken meat Rs300 per kg, pomegranate Rs300 per kg, melon Rs50 per kg, eggs Rs84 per kg, shoe polish at Rs65 per packet, ginger and garlic at Rs200 per kg each.

Prices of pulses, including Maash, Moong, Masoor, Chana and Lobia, have registered an increase ranging between Rs5 and Rs10 per kg. Maash was available at Rs 150 per kg last week, which is currently being sold at Rs160 per kg, while Moong is being sold at Rs120 per kg against Rs115 per kg. Masoor was being sold at Rs120 against Rs110 per kg, Chana at Rs100 against Rs90-95 per kg and Lobia at Rs110 per kg against Rs105 per kg. The survey showed that the price of Maash increased by Rs10 per kg, Moong Rs5 per kg, Masoor by Rs10 per kg, Chana by Rs5 per kg and Lobia Rs5 per kg.

Guava is being sold at Rs70 per kg, against Rs60 per kg, orange at Rs100-150 per dozen against Rs80-120 per kg, banana at Rs100-180 per dozen; apple depending on quality is being sold at Rs150-200 per kg, strawberry at Rs250 per kg while watermelon at Rs300 per 5 kg.  Peas are being sold at Rs80 per kg, cucumber at Rs40 per kg, okra at Rs150-80 per kg, Kareela at Rs100-120 per kg and Tinda at Rs60 per kg. Traders at Rawalpindi/ Islamabad wholesale markets talking to this correspondent said that the prices of all the pulses and vegetables increased following the increase in petrol price.

The survey observed that the price of sugar was also witnessing an increasing trend over the past few weeks its price increased by Rs10 per kg. Due to a rift between transporters and ghee makers, prices of cooking oil/ghee had increased by Rs10 per kg last month. Now that the problem is over, but suppliers of ghee/cooking oil have not reduced the prices. They are still charging the same prices.

The survey also observed that prices of all textbooks of private English-medium schools and government schools had gone up between Rs30 to Rs40 per book. According to the booksellers' price list, prices of books for nursery class is Rs1,135; prep Rs1,075, class-I Rs1,300, class-II Rs1,615, class-III and class-IV each Rs1,790, class-V Rs1,820, class-VI Rs1,365, class-VII Rs1,420 and class-VIII Rs1,367. The bookseller estimated that the increase in price of books from nursery to class-VIII varied between Rs300 and Rs500.