ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a declining trend during this week past against the previous week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder, here on Saturday.
The survey observed a declining trend in the prices of vegetables, wheat flour, pulses, and chicken, no changes in the prices of best quality ghee-cooking oil, cooked food items, fresh milk, yoghurt, spices, tea, and sugar, while increasing trend in eggs, B-grade cooking oil and fruits prices.
The survey observed a reduction in chicken price as it went down from Rs8,800 to Rs8,000 per 40kg in the wholesale market, which in retail, is being sold at Rs275 per kg against Rs295 per kg, while chicken meat price went down from Rs460 per kg to Rs440 per kg.
Eggs prices went up from Rs6,800 per carton to Rs6,850 per carton of 30 dozens, while in retail, eggs are being sold at Rs245 per dozen.
Wheat flour prices witnessed a reduction as the best quality wheat flour price in the wholesale market went down from Rs1,570 per 15kg bag to Rs1,540 per bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,570 against Rs1,600 per bag, the normal quality wheat flour bag price went down from Rs1,540 per 15kg bag to Rs1,520, which in retail is being sold at Rs1,540 per bag against Rs1,570 per bag. Wheat flour prices within the past one month had registered a reduction of Rs110 per 15kg bag or over Rs7 per kg.
The survey observed that retailers are charging their own prices in all the parts of the cities owing to dysfunctional price monitoring committees. Moreover, special price control magistrates have also left the people at the mercy of profiteers.
Various people talking to Business Recorder have requested the government of Punjab to fully restore supply of subsidised wheat flour at selected retailers as within the past three months poor people especially labour class is unable to get low cost commodity because Punjab government has stopped supply. They further said that subsidised wheat flour is either not available on most of the Utility Stores outlets.
Traders told this correspondent that the government of Punjab as yet has not started supplying them the subsidised wheat flour, adding that before Pervez Elahi government, Punjab government was providing subsidised wheat flour bags to retailers, but for the past three months, the new administration has halted the supply as a result, poor people are facing serious hardship.
Sugar price remained unchanged at Rs4,200 which in retail is being sold at Rs90-95 per kg, while some retailers are selling at Rs100 per kg.
Rice prices also remained unchanged as the best quality Basmati rice is available at Rs11,200 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs290 per kg, normal quality Basmati rice at Rs9,000 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs245 per kg, and Broken Basmati rice price is stable at Rs5,500 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs170 per kg.
Ghee and cooking oil prices witnessed a mixed trend as B-Grade ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed an increase going up from Rs5,100 per carton to Rs5,200 per carton of 16 packs, which in retail is being sold at Rs365 per kg against Rs360 per pack. While best quality cooking oil-ghee brands such as Dalda, Sufi, and others prices witnessed no change and are available at Rs2,550 per 5kg pack against Rs2,700 per 5kg tin.
Overall pulses’ prices witnessed a declining trend during the week under review as best quality whole gram is available at Rs320 per kg, fine quality maash at Rs270 per kg against Rs380 per kg, the best quality lentil at Rs300 per kg, best quality bean lentil at Rs300 per kg, moong at Rs240 per kg against Rs250 per kg, and masoor at Rs250 per kg against Rs280 per kg.
No changes were witnessed in tea prices as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs1,300 per kg pack. Fresh milk and yoghurt prices remained stable during the week as fresh milk is available at Rs180 per kg, yoghurt at Rs190 per kg, while packed milk prices remained unchanged as Nestle Milk small pack is available at Rs60, per litre pack at Rs220, and per kg pack and family pack at Rs270.
Powder chilli prices went down from Rs600 to Rs500 per kg and powder turmeric price went down from Rs450 per kg Rs400 per kg.
Potatoes price went down Rs50-85 per kg to Rs35-60 per kg, tomatoes price went down from Rs150-230 per kg level to Rs140-200 per kg, while onions price went up from Rs80-140 per kg to Rs100-150 per kg.
Cabbage price went up from Rs60-75 per kg to Rs110-125 per kg, cauliflower went down from Rs140 per kg to Rs60-90 per kg, garlic is available in the range of Rs250-350 per kg against Rs180-280 per kg, ginger at Rs300-320 per kg against Rs280 per kg, fresh bean at Rs120-150 against Rs110-130 per kg, pumpkin at Rs90 against Rs120 per kg, okra at Rs100 per kg against Rs110per kg, and bitter gourd at Rs110 per kg against Rs120 per kg.
Vegetables and fruit traders told this correspondent that vegetables and fruit supplies from parts of Khyber Pakhthunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan have started improving as a result the prices of various vegetables and fruits have started declining. Traders maintained prices of tomatoes and onions have not settled yet but within the next two months it will settle following the arrival of fresh crops from Sindh and Balochistan, wherein, vegetables crops were destroyed by devastating floods.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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