From Aug 2018 to Aug 2021: Significant increase in prices of essential kitchen items witnessed

ISLAMABAD: Prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a significant increase during past three years, shows a comparison of the weekly surveys conducted by Business Recorder from August 2018 to August 2021.

The comparison revealed that during the period under review, prices of all the essential kitchen items including vegetables, chicken, eggs, wheat flour, pulses, spices, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), cooking oil, rice, and sugar continually registered an upward trend.

On August 18, 2018, onions were available at Rs150 per 5kg in wholesale, which has jumped to Rs250 per 5kg in wholesale market, while in retail it is available at Rs60 per kg against Rs40-45 per kg.

Potato price jumped from Rs150 per 5kg to Rs260 per 5kg, which in retail was being sold at Rs60 per kg against Rs40 per kg.

Tomato price went up from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs240 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs60 per kg against Rs50 per kg.

Prices of various qualities of garlic went up from Rs300-350 per 5kg to Rs550-1,000 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold at Rs150-250 per kg against Rs70-90 per kg.

Ginger price went up from Rs650 per 5kg to Rs1,500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs350 per kg against Rs150-160 per kg.

Lemon price went up from Rs450 per 5kg to Rs850 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs200 per kg against Rs100-112 per kg.

Live chicken price went up from Rs3,800 per 40kg to Rs6,200 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs110-120 per kg and chicken price jumped from Rs170 per kg to Rs250 per kg.

The eggs prices witnessed most significant increase from Rs2,300 per carton to Rs4,400 per carton, which in retail are being sold at Rs160 per dozen against Rs85 per dozen.

Beef with bones price went up from Rs450 per kg to Rs650 per kg, boneless beef price from Rs550 per kg to Rs750 per kg, and mutton from Rs750 per kg to Rs1,350 per kg.

Sugar price jumped from Rs2,600 per 50kg bag to Rs5,000 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs110 per kg against Rs60 per kg, wheat flour price jumped from Rs740 per 20kg bag to Rs1,150 per 20kg bag, best quality ghee/cooking oil price jumped from Rs900 per 5-litre tin to Rs1,720 per 5-litre tin, while B-grade cooking oil price has jumped from Rs110 per litre to Rs250 per 900 gram.

Ghee and cooking oil prices have witnessed most significant increase from December 2020 as since December 2020 best quality ghee/cooking oil price has witnessed an increase of Rs110 per kg from Rs250 per kg to Rs360 per kg, while B-grade ghee/cooking oil price increased by Rs90 per pack of 900 grams from Rs160 to Rs250 per pack.

Powder milk price jumped from Rs700 per 900 gram pack to Rs1,090 per pack, fresh milk price jumped from Rs90 per litre to Rs140 per litre, yogurt price jumped from Rs100 per kg to Rs150 per kg, packed milk such Olpers and Milk Pak prices have jumped from Rs1,330 carton to Rs1,750 per carton containing six packs.

Similarly, prices of all the brands of tea like Lipton Yellow Label jumped from Rs700 per kg to Rs995 per kg, best quality rice prices have jumped from Rs130 per kg to Rs180 per kg, while normal quality rice price went up from Rs80 per kg to Rs130 per kg.

Price of all the spices such as National, Shan, Dewan have jumped from Rs50 per pack of 50gram to Rs75 per pack of 43grams.

Red powdered chillies price jumped from Rs6,000 per 40kg to Rs26,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs900 per kg against Rs250 per kg.

Pulses prices during this period have witnessed an unprecedented increase as maash price jumped from Rs10,500 per 100kg bag to Rs21,500 per 100kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs240 per kg against Rs150 per kg, best quality lentil pulse from 7,300 per quintal to Rs13,375 per quintal, which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs80 per kg.

Best quality bean lentil from Rs9,000 per quintal to Rs21,00 per quintal, which in retail is being sold at Rs230 per kg against Rs110 per kg, masoor from Rs8,000 per quintal to Rs15,900 per quintal, which in retail is being sold at Rs150 per kg against Rs90-100 per kg, best quality whole gram from Rs7,500 per quintal to Rs12,500 per quintal, which in retail is being sold at Rs160 per kg against Rs90 per kg, and moong from Rs6,700 per quintal to Rs16,250 per quintal, which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs85 per kg.

Price of 15kg Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder jumped from Rs1,500 per 15kg to Rs2,650 per 15kg domestic cylinder, while per kg LPG price went up from Rs130 per kg to Rs185 per kg.

During the period, prices of all the vegetables have regularly witnessed an upward trend as capsicum price went up from Rs380 per 5kg to Rs750 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs170 per kg against Rs90 per kg; Yam (arvi) price went up from Rs160 per 5kg to Rs250 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs60 per kg against Rs45 per kg, fresh bean price went up from Rs350 per 5kg to Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs140 per kg against Rs80-85 per kg, and price of loki kadu went up from Rs175 per 5kg to Rs350 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs80 per kg against Rs40-45 per kg.

Carrot price jumped from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs120 per kg against Rs45 per kg, bringal price went up from Rs150 per 5kg to Rs430 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs110 per kg against Rs40-45 per kg, Maroo kaddu price jumped from Rs180 per 5kg to Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs120 per kg against Rs45 per kg, peas price went up from Rs650 per 5kg to Rs1,250 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs250 per kg against Rs40 per kg.

Tinda went up from Rs200 per 5kg to Rs450 per 5kg, which in retail market is being sold at Rs100 per kg against Rs50 per kg.

Cauliflower price went up from Rs300 per 5kg to Rs400 per 5kg, which in retail market was being sold at Rs90 per kg against Rs75 per kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021