ISLAMABAD: Prices of essential kitchen items especially sugar, all the pulses, packed milk, eggs, chicken and chicken meat have witnessed an increase during this week past as compared with the previous week, revealed a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday.
The survey noted increase in the prices of an entire range of pulses, chicken, chicken meat, eggs, branded milk, while spices, ghee/cooking oil, wheat flour, rice, and tea prices remained stable, however, a reduction in vegetables and fruit prices was noted.
During the week under review, sugar price jumped to Rs4,550 per 50kg bag from Rs4,350 per bag showing an increase of Rs200 per bag and Rs4 per kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs95/100 per kg against Rs90 per kg.
Prices of all the pulses during the week under review witnessed an increase as moong went up from Rs7,200 per 40kg bag to Rs7,600 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs200 per kg against Rs180 per kg.
Maash price went up from Rs9,000 per 40kg to Rs9,600 per 40kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs280 per kg against Rs260 per kg, best quality lentil gram from Rs5,200 per 40kg to Rs5,400 per 40kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs150 per kg.
Best quality bean lentil from Rs7,500 per 40kg to Rs8,500 per 40kg which in retail is being sold at Rs225 per kg against Rs210 per kg, masoor from Rs4,900 per 40kg to Rs5,800 per 40kg which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs140 per kg, and best quality whole gram from Rs5,000 per 40kg to Rs5,400 per 40kg which in retail is being sold at Rs150 per kg against Rs140 per kg.
B-grade ghee/cooking oil in wholesale market is still being sold at Rs2,750 per carton of 12 packs, which in retail is being sold at Rs230 per pack of 900grams, best quality ghee/cooking oil in wholesale is available at Rs1,440, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,480 per 5 litre pack.
During the past two months, best quality ghee/cooking oil prices have witnessed an increase of Rs300 per 5 litre bottle or Rs48 per litre increase, while normal quality ghee-cooking oil brands have witnessed an increase of Rs45 per 900 gram pack.
Chicken price during the week under review registered an increase of Rs500 per 40kg from Rs7,500 per 40kg to Rs8,000 per 40kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs225 per kg against Rs205 per kg, and chicken meat went up from Rs320 per kg to Rs350 per kg. Eggs prices in wholesale market jumped from Rs3,850 per carton to Rs4,250 per carton which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs155-160 per dozen against Rs140/145 per dozen.
Branded packed milk such as Milk Pack and Olper prices went up from Rs40 per small pack to Rs42.5 per pack, and litre pack from Rs154 per pack to Rs160 per pack.
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices and firewood remained stable as LPG domestic cylinder of 15kg price is stable at Rs,2400 per cylinder, firewood prices at Rs800 per 40kg.
Fresh milk and yogurt prices also remained stable at Rs125 per kg and Rs140 per kg respectively.
Rice prices also remained stable at Rs5,700 per bag which in retail is being sold at Rs175 per kg.
Wheat flour price has also witnessed a slight reduction of Rs20 per 20kg bag from Rs1,350 per bag to Rs1,330 per bag, normal quality wheat flour price from Rs1,300 per bag to Rs1,270 per bag.
A comparison of the prevailing market prices with the prices computed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has find serious differences as the PBS has mentioned sugar price at Rs93.59 per kg which in the market on an average is available at Rs96 per kg. Similarly, the PBS has mentioned Dalda ghee/cooking oil price at Rs1,495 per 5kg tin, while in market it is being sold at Rs1,510 per 5kg tin.
The PBS has mentioned wheat flour price of Rs970 per 20kg bag but in market it is available at Rs1,330 per 20kg bag.
Fresh milk price at Rs105.18 per kg, while in market it is being sold at Rs125 per kg, cooked dal plate at an average hotel is available at Rs95 per plate against the PBS mentioned price of Rs77.37 per plate, mutton in rural areas of Rawalpindi/Islamabad is available at Rs1,100 per kg while the PBS has mentioned it at Rs998.52 per kg, while in urban areas of the twin cities mutton is being sold at Rs1,250 per kg.
The government-sponsored 20kg wheat flour bag which is available at Rs860 per 20kg bag but it is not available on majority of the shops as well as on the Utility Stores outlets.
It is also observed that a majority of the people are not willing to purchase government-sponsored 20kg wheat flour bag, saying it is of inferior quality and not suitable for consumption.
The survey noted that the prices of most of the vegetables witnessed a decline as tomato price went down from Rs150 per 5kg to Rs110 per 5kg in wholesale market which in retail are being sold at Rs35 per kg against Rs40 per kg, onion price went down from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs130 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs35 per kg against Rs50 per kg, potato price went down from Rs160 per 5kg to Rs125 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs35 per kg against Rs40 per kg.
Ginger price went up from Rs1,000 per 5kg to Rs1,200 per 5kg which in retail market are being sold at Rs300 per kg against Rs280 per kg and garlic prices went down from Rs850 per 5kg to Rs800 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs210 per kg against Rs220 per kg.
The survey observed a reduction in the prices of all the fruits and vegetables.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.