ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items witnessed an upward trend during the past week compared to the previous week, owing to the continuous escalation in fuel prices, a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday revealed.
Traders told this correspondent that prices of edible items have continued to witness an upward trend over the past seven months owing to the Middle East crisis. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted fuel supplies and caused fuel prices to skyrocket. The situation was further aggravated by the expansion of the war to Yemen, which disrupted fuel supplies through Bab-al-Mandab. Traders argued that the current market prices of not only edible items but also other daily-use items have increased by at least 30-50 percent over the past seven months owing to increased transportation costs and higher electricity and gas prices. They said that the prices of vegetables, fruits and other edible items at the farm level have significantly declined during the past two weeks, but high transportation costs are not allowing suppliers to pass on the benefit to end consumers.
The survey observed a reduction in chicken prices, as they went down from Rs13,000 per 40 kg to Rs12,000 in the wholesale market, while in retail, chicken is being sold in the range of Rs320-350 per kg against Rs350-380 per kg. Chicken meat is available in the range of Rs450-500 per kg against Rs520-570 per kg, varying from area to area.
Egg prices went up from Rs6,700 to Rs7,200 per carton containing 30 dozen in the wholesale market, while in retail, eggs are being sold in the range of Rs260-270 against Rs240-250 per dozen. Meat prices remained stable, as normal-quality mutton is available in the range of Rs2,750-2,850 per kg, while the best-quality meat is available in the range of Rs3,100-3,300 per kg. Normal-quality boneless beef is available at Rs1,750 per kg, and normal mixed beef at Rs1,550 per kg. Prices of various varieties of fish also remained unchanged, with different varieties available in the range of Rs600-1,200 per kg.
Sugar prices also remained stable at Rs6,950 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 Rs145 per kg. Wheat flour prices remained stable at Rs2,150 per 15 kg bag in the wholesale market, while in retail, it is being sold at Rs2,210 per 15 kg bag. No changes were witnessed in the prices of roti, naan and paratha, as roti is available at Rs25, naan at Rs30 and paratha at Rs60. Bakery and confectionery item prices remained stable, as normal-sized bread is available at Rs170, small-sized bread at Rs125 and family-sized bread at Rs225.
The prices of cooked food items also witnessed no changes, as a plate of cooked dal/vegetables at a normal restaurant is available at Rs350, a plate of cooked beef at Rs680, a plate of cooked chicken at Rs530, a plate of cooked mutton at Rs800, and nihari at Rs600. A cup of tea at most hotels/restaurants is available at Rs80-100, while some restaurant operators are still selling a cup of tea in the range of Rs50-60.
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 Rs7,000 per carton containing 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs440-450 per 900-gram pack. Meanwhile, the best-quality cooking oil/ghee brands, such as Dalda ghee, are available at Rs2,920 per 5-kg tin, which in retail is being sold at Rs3,000 per 5-litre bottle.
Officially, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has fixed the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for September at Rs259 per kg. 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 such as 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 Rs6,500-7,000 against the official rate of Rs3,905. The phenomenon reflects that LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers are overcharging consumers by Rs126-146 per kg and Rs2,595-3,095 per 15-kg domestic cylinder. Whenever OGRA is asked about its failure to enforce LPG prices, the authority comes up with a simple reply that district authorities are not cooperating. However, district authorities claim that the regulator has never shown any intention or requested the relevant authorities, including local representatives, commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, tehsildars and magistrates, to enforce the official prices in the market.
The prices of various varieties of rice remained stable, as top-quality basmati rice is available at Rs13,000 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs380 per kg; normal-quality basmati at Rs11,500 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs330 per kg; and good-quality broken basmati at Rs9,000 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per kg. Meanwhile, normal-quality broken basmati is available at Rs7,000 per 40 kg and is being sold in retail in the range of Rs200-220 per kg.
Tea prices witnessed no changes, as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,000 per 900-gram pack and Islamabad Tea at Rs1,900 per kg. Turmeric powder prices remained stable at Rs610 per kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs700-850 per kg. Red chilli powder is available at Rs590 per kg in the wholesale market, while retailers are selling it in the range of Rs750-850 per kg. However, some retailers are selling the commodity at Rs900-1,000 per kg in the absence of effective monitoring by the district authorities.
Pulse prices also remained stable, as maash pulse is available at Rs13,300 per 40 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs420-450 per kg; gram pulse at Rs8,250 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs250-260 per kg; best-quality whole gram at Rs9,000 per 40 kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs270-290 per kg; various varieties of bean lentils at Rs15,000-16,850 per 40 kg, 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 containing 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 containing 250-ml packs also remained stable at Rs2,530 per carton, while in the market, a 250-ml pack is being sold at Rs100. Fresh milk prices remained stable at Rs260 per litre, while in some areas, particularly posh sectors, fresh milk is being sold in the range of Rs280-300 per litre. Yogurt prices also remained stable at Rs280 per kg, while in posh sectors, it is being sold in the range of Rs300-330 per kg. No changes were observed in the prices of powdered milk, such as Nido and Lactogen. A 400-gram pack of Nido powdered milk is available at Rs1,100, while a 200-gram pack is available at Rs750.
Overall, bathing soap prices remained stable, as Safeguard family-size soap 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 1-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.
Overall, vegetable prices witnessed an increasing trend. Potato prices remained stable at Rs1,300-2,500 per quintal, while retailers are selling potatoes in the range of Rs45-50 per kg, against the official price of Rs22-35 per kg. In the wholesale market, onions are available at Rs7,500-16,000 per quintal, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs200-300 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs145-202 per kg.
Tomato prices went up from Rs2,000 to Rs2,300 per 15-kg basket, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs130-180 per kg against Rs120-160 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs109-157 per kg. Ginger prices remained stable at Rs1,300 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs400-430 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs303-363 per kg. Prices of various varieties of garlic went up from Rs600-1,700 to Rs650-1,800 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs250-550 per kg against Rs220-450 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs169-460 per kg.
Capsicum prices remained unchanged at Rs1,100 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs200-330 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs242-290 per kg. Prices of various varieties of pumpkins remained stable at Rs360-600 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs160-200 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs80-157 per kg. Prices of various types of tinda went up from Rs800-1,150 to Rs850-1,450 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs260-450 per kg against Rs250-400 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs182-339 per kg.
Eggplant prices went down from Rs370 to Rs330 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs110-120 per kg against Rs120-130 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs79-91 per kg. Cauliflower prices went up from Rs570 to Rs700 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs200-230 per kg against Rs175-200 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs169-194 per kg. Spinach prices went down from Rs240 to Rs200 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs70-80 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs55-61 per kg.
Cabbage prices went up from Rs550 to Rs650 per 5 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs170-200 per kg against Rs145-160 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs145-157 per kg. Fresh bean prices remained stable at Rs800 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs230-260 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs182-206 per kg. Okra prices went down from Rs850 to Rs800 per 5 kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs225-250 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs182-218 per kg. Carrot prices went up from Rs600 to Rs670 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs160-180 per kg against Rs150-160 per kg, while the government-fixed rate is Rs145-157 per kg. Bitter-gourd prices went up from Rs650 to Rs800 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs220-250 per kg against Rs175-200 per kg, while the official price is set at Rs194-230 per kg.
Green chilli prices went up from Rs400 to Rs500 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs150-175 per kg against Rs130-150 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs121-133 per kg. Taro root prices remained stable at Rs345 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs90-110 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs73-85 per kg. Cucumber prices remained stable at Rs350 per 5 kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs100-130 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs85-97 per kg. Ridge-gourd prices went up from Rs450 to Rs500 per 5 kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs140-160 per kg against Rs120-135 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs121-133 per kg.
The official rate list is issued after close collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders, with a profit margin of Rs10-20 per kg for sellers around the wholesale market, Rs15-30 per kg for sellers in most parts of the capital city, and Rs20-40 per kg for sellers in posh areas. However, no vendor, pushcart holder or shopkeeper is following the official price list, as price monitoring committees from the bottom to the top have totally ignored monitoring the market situation and enforcing the official rates. As a result, consumers have been compelled to pay high rates over the past eight years.
Overall, fruit prices also witnessed an increasing trend, as banana prices went up from Rs70-190 to Rs85-210 per dozen, apple prices went up from Rs200-400 to Rs220-450 per kg, mango prices went up from Rs250-350 to Rs325-450 per kg, pear prices went up from Rs350 to Rs400 per kg, papaya prices went down from Rs350 to Rs300 per kg, peach prices went up from Rs225-340 to Rs250-400 per kg, and guava prices went up from Rs200-220 to Rs220-250 per kg. Various varieties of grapes are available in the range of Rs350-700 per kg, fresh-arrival citrus fruits are being sold in the range of Rs200-250 per dozen, and chikoo prices remained stable at Rs220-250 per kg.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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