Islamabad: prices of kitchen items show declining trend on improvement in supplies

ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a declining trend following an improvement in supplies and a reduction in fuel prices, a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday revealed.

Traders and transporters told this correspondent that vegetable and fruit prices over the past two months witnessed a significant increase owing to the continued increase in fuel prices, which was further intensified with the advent of monsoon rains, but now the supply situation has started improving. They said that besides seasonal variations and supply disruptions, the regular daily upward trajectory in fuel prices also played a major role in increasing prices.

The survey observed a reduction of Rs1,000 per 40 kg in the price of chicken, as it went down from Rs13,500 to Rs12,500 per 40 kg in the wholesale market, while in retail it is being sold in the range of Rs325-350 against Rs350-375 per kg. Chicken meat is available in the range of Rs470-540 against Rs530-575 per kg, varying from area to area. Egg prices went down from Rs7,700 to Rs7,400 per carton containing 30 dozen in the wholesale market, while in retail eggs are being sold in the range of Rs275-280 against Rs280-290 per dozen. Meat prices remained stable, as normal-quality mutton is available in the range of Rs2,750-2,850 per kg, the best-quality meat in the range of Rs3,100-3,300 per kg. Normal-quality boneless beef available at Rs1,750 per kg, and normal mixed beef at Rs1,550 per kg. Prices of various varieties of fish also remained unchanged, as different varieties of fish are available in the range of Rs600-1,200 per kg.

The sugar price remained stable at Rs6,800 per 50 kg bag in wholesale markets, while in retail it is being sold in the range of Rs150-160 per kg against the official rate of Rs147 per kg.

Wheat flour price went up from Rs2,150 to Rs2,200 per 15 kg bag in the wholesale market, while in retail it is being sold at Rs2,250 against Rs2,200 per 15 kg bag. No changes were witnessed in roti, naan and paratha prices, as roti is available at Rs25, naan at Rs30, and paratha at Rs60. No changes were observed in bakery and confectionery items. Normal-sized bread is available at Rs150 against Rs140, small-sized bread at Rs110, and family-sized bread at Rs210.

The prices of cooked food items also remained stable, as a cooked dal/vegetable plate at a normal restaurant is available at Rs350, a cooked beef plate at Rs680, a cooked chicken plate at Rs530, a cooked mutton plate at Rs800, and nihari at Rs600, while a cup of tea at most hotels/restaurants is available at Rs80-100 per cup. However, some restaurant operators are still selling a cup of tea in the range of Rs50-60 per cup.

No changes were observed in the prices of branded spices such as Shan, National, Dewan and others, as various spices are available at Rs150 per 39-gram pack. Ghee/cooking oil prices remained stable, as B-grade ghee/oil is available at Rs6,820 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, while in retail it is still being sold at Rs440-450 per 900-gram pack. The best-quality cooking oil/ghee brands, such as Dalda ghee, are available at Rs2,920 per 5 kg tin, while in retail they are being sold at Rs3,000 per 5-litre bottle.

Officially, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has announced an increase of Rs12.89 per kg in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and fixed it at Rs254.32 per kg for August against Rs241.43 per kilogram. However, LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers are selling the commodity at more than double the official price. In hilly areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, LPG is being sold in the range of Rs500-600 per kg, while in cities like Rawalpindi and Islamabad, it is being sold in the range of Rs380-400 per kg against the official rate. A domestic LPG cylinder containing 15 kg costs Rs5,500-6,300 in hilly areas against the official price of Rs3,815.

The prices of various varieties of rice remained stable, as top-quality Basmati rice is available at Rs14,000 per 40 kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs400 per kg; normal-quality Basmati at Rs12,000 per 40 kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs350 per kg; and good-quality broken Basmati at Rs9,500 per 40 kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs270 per kg, while normal-quality broken Basmati is available at Rs7,100-7,500 per 40 kg bag, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs200-220 per kg.

Tea prices witnessed no fluctuations, as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,000 per 900-gram pack and Islamabad Tea at Rs1,900 per kg.

Turmeric powder price went down from Rs650 to Rs620 per kg in the wholesale market, while in retail it is being sold in the range of Rs700-850 against Rs800-1,000 per kg. Red chilli powder is available at Rs600 per kg in wholesale markets, while retailers are selling it in the range of Rs750-850 against Rs800-1,000 per kg.

Pulses prices witnessed no changes, as maash pulse in the wholesale market is available at Rs13,500 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs420-450 per kg; gram pulse at Rs8,500 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs250-260 per kg; best-quality whole gram at Rs9,200 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs270-290 per kg; various varieties of bean lentils at Rs15,200-17,200, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs410-520 per kg; moong pulse at Rs12,000 per 40 kg, which in retail is available at Rs330 per kg; and masoor pulse at Rs8,300 per 40 kg, which in retail is available at Rs260 per kg.

Packed milk prices, such as Milk-Pak, Olpers and others, witnessed no changes, as a carton of one-litre packs is available at Rs4,250 per carton, while in retail a one-litre pack is being sold at Rs380. The price of a carton of 250ml packs also remained stable at Rs2,530 per carton, which in the market is being sold at Rs100 per 250ml pack. Fresh milk prices across the twin cities remained stable at Rs260 per litre, while in some areas, especially posh sectors; fresh milk is being sold at Rs280 per litre. The price of yogurt also remained stable at Rs280 per kg, while in posh sectors it is being sold in the range of Rs280-300 per kg. No changes were observed in the prices of powdered milk, such as Nido and Lactogen, as 400-gram Nido powdered milk is available at Rs1,100, while a 200-gram pack is available at Rs750 per pack.

Overall, bathing soap prices remained stable, as Safeguard family-size is available at Rs175 per pack, while Dettol, Lux, Palmolive and others are available at Rs160 per pack. Detergent prices, such as Ariel, Surf, Brite, Express Power and others, also remained stable at Rs600 per kg pack.

The prices of various brands of soft drinks, such as Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others, remained stable, as a family-size bottle is available at Rs230.

Vegetable prices witnessed a declining trend. Potato prices went down from Rs1,500-2,700 to Rs1,350-2,500 per quintal, while retailers are selling potatoes in the range of Rs45-50 against Rs50-60 per kg, and the official price is fixed at Rs22-35 per kg. Onion prices went up from Rs7,500-9,500 to Rs9,000-11,500 per quintal, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs140-180 against Rs120-150 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs109-169 per kg. Tomato prices went down from Rs4,300 to Rs3,300 per 15 kg basket, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs270-325 against Rs370-420 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs182-240 per kg.

Ginger prices went down from Rs1,500 to Rs1,400 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs430-450 against Rs450-500 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs339-382 per kg. Prices of various varieties of garlic witnessed a decline, as garlic is available in the range of Rs450-1,300 against Rs500-1,350 per 5 kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs170-400 against Rs175-500 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs157-327 per kg.

Capsicum prices went down from Rs1,350 to Rs1,250 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs330-380 against Rs350-450 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs278-315 per kg. Prices of various varieties of pumpkin went down from Rs450-700 to Rs360-630 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs130-170 against Rs150-220 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs93-133 per kg.

Prices of various types of tinda went down from Rs600-1,200 to Rs430-800 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs160-230 against Rs170-330 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs145-194 per kg. Eggplant prices went up from Rs375 to Rs425 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs125-140 against Rs110-120 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs109-116 per kg. Cauliflower prices went up from Rs450 to Rs500 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs140-150 against Rs130-140 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs133-145 per kg.

Spinach prices went down from Rs350 to Rs250 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs75-80 against Rs90-100 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs61-67 per kg. Cabbage prices went down from Rs575 to Rs500 per 5 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs130-145 against Rs150-170 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs121-133 per kg. Fresh bean prices remained stable at Rs500 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs130-160 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs121-133 per kg. Okra prices went down from Rs650 to Rs600 per 5 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs180-200 against Rs200-220 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs145-157 per kg. Carrot prices remained stable at Rs450 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs120-135 per kg, while the government-fixed rate is Rs109-121 per kg. Bitter gourd prices remained stable at Rs450 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs120-140 per kg, while the official price is set at Rs109-121 per kg. Green chilli prices went down from Rs475 to Rs425 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs120-140 against Rs125-150 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs109-116 per kg. Taro root prices remained stable at Rs270 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs80-90 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs67-73 per kg. Cucumber prices went up from Rs800 to Rs900 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs250-300 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs206-230 per kg. Ridge gourd prices remained stable at Rs335 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs75-90 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs73-85 per kg.

Overall, fruit prices witnessed a declining trend, as banana prices went down from Rs130-250 to Rs100-230 per dozen, apple prices went down from Rs270-350 to Rs240-330 per kg, mango prices from Rs170-450 to Rs150-400 per kg, pear from Rs350 to Rs300 per kg, papaya from Rs400 to Rs350 per kg, peach from Rs200-350 to Rs200-300 per kg, guava from Rs200-260 to Rs190-230 per kg, various varieties of plum from Rs400-550 to Rs350-450 per kg, and chikoo from Rs250-280 to Rs225-250 per kg.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026