ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a mixed trend during the past week against the previous week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday revealed.
Traders told this correspondent that prices of edible items during the past eight months have kept on going up following the Middle East crisis, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz created fuel supply disruptions and skyrocketed fuel prices. The phenomenon was further worsened by the expansion of the war to Yemen, which led to disruptions in fuel supplies in Bab-al-Mandab.
However, the traders argued that current market prices not only of edible items but also of other daily-use items since March 2026 have witnessed an increase of at least 30-50 percent owing to increased transportation costs, higher electricity bills, gas prices, and other input costs.
They said that the prices of vegetables, fruits and other edible items at the farm level have declined during the past three weeks, but high transportation fares and other input costs are not allowing suppliers to pass on the benefit to end consumers.
Moreover, this phenomenon has also resulted in increased costs of school uniforms, notebooks, shoes, school vans’ rent, along with other daily household-use items.
The survey observed an increase in chicken prices as they went up from Rs12,800 per 40kg to Rs13,500 in the wholesale market, while in retail, chicken is being sold in the range of Rs355-390 against Rs340-370 per kg, while chicken meat is available in the range of Rs520-600 against Rs480-550 per kg, varying from area to area. Egg prices remained stable at Rs7,300 per carton containing 30 dozen in the wholesale market, while in retail, eggs are being sold in the range of Rs265-275 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 at Rs1,750 per kg, and normal mixed beef at Rs1,550 per kg. Prices of the various varieties of fish also remained unchanged, as different varieties of fish are available in the range of Rs600-1,200 per kg.
Sugar price went down from Rs7,050 to Rs6,800 per 50 kg bag in wholesale markets, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs150-160 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs142 per kg. Wheat flour price went slightly down from Rs2,130 to Rs2,100 per 15 kg bag in the wholesale market, while in retail it is being sold at Rs2,150-2,170 against Rs2,200 per 15kg bag. Owing to continuous increases in gas, electricity, petrol, diesel and other input costs, some tandoor items, especially Quetta Caffee-linked chains, have increased the rates of the entire range of parathas from Rs60 to Rs70. However, the majority of tandoor operators have not increased 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 have witnessed an increase, as normal-sized bread price went up from Rs170 to Rs180, small-sized bread from Rs125 to Rs130, and family-sized bread from Rs225 to Rs240.
The prices of cooked food items witnessed no changes, 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.
The spice suppliers, like Shan, National, Deewan, and others, on the plea of increased input costs, have also increased the prices of their entire range of products by Rs10 per pack, as various spices are available at Rs160 against Rs150 per 39-gram pack. Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed an increase, as B-grade ghee/oil price went up from Rs7,150 to Rs7,300 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs460-470 against Rs450-460 per 900-gram pack, while the best-quality cooking oil/ghee brands, such as Dalda ghee, remained stable at Rs2,970 per 5-kg tin, which in retail is being sold at Rs3,100 per 5-litre bottle.
Officially, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has announced an increase of Rs20 per kg in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for October and fixed the LPG price at Rs270 against Rs259 per kg. However, LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers are selling the commodity at more than double the official price, as in the hilly areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, LPG is being sold in the range of Rs550-650 per kg, while in cities like Rawalpindi and Islamabad, it is being sold in the range of Rs410-420 per kg against the official rate. A domestic LPG cylinder containing 15 kg costs Rs7,000 against the official rate of Rs4,200. The phenomenon reflects that LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers are overcharging consumers by Rs126-146 per kg and Rs2,800 per domestic cylinder of 15kg. Meanwhile, OGRA, along with district authorities, which include local representatives, commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, tehsildars and magistrates, has miserably failed to enforce the official prices in the market.
The prices of the various varieties of rice remained stable, as top-quality basmati rice is available at Rs13,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs380 per kg; normal-quality basmati at Rs11,500 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs330 per kg; and good-quality broken basmati at Rs9,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per kg, while normal-quality broken basmati at Rs7,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold 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 price remained stable at Rs550 per kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs700-850 per kg, and red chilli powder price also remained stable at Rs550 per kg in the wholesale market, which retailers are selling in the range of Rs750-850 per kg. However, some retailers are selling the commodity at even Rs900-1,000 per kg in the absence of effective monitoring by the district authorities.
The prices of various pulses remained stable, as maash pulse is available at Rs15,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs450-470 per kg; gram at Rs9,500 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs260-280 per kg; best-quality whole gram at Rs10,000 per 40kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs300-320 per kg; various varieties of bean lentils at Rs16,000-17,700 per 40kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs440-520 per kg; moong pulse at Rs10,500 per 40kg, which in retail is available at Rs300 per kg; and masoor pulse at Rs9,000 per 40kg, which in retail is available at Rs280 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 also remained stable at Rs2,530 per carton, while in the market it is being sold at Rs100 per 250ml. Fresh milk price remained stable at Rs260 per litre, while in some parts, especially posh sectors, fresh milk is being sold in the range of Rs280-300 per litre. The price of yogurt also remained stable at Rs280 per kg, while in posh sectors it is being sold at Rs300-330 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, and a 200-gram pack 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 1kg 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 remained stable, as potatoes are available in the range of Rs1,300-2,500 per quintal, while retailers are selling potatoes in the range of Rs45-50 per kg and the official price is fixed at Rs22-35 per kg. Finally, onion prices witnessed a reduction, as in the wholesale market they came down from Rs7,500-16,000 to Rs6,500-14,000 per quintal, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs180-250 against Rs200-300 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs121-187 per kg. Tomato prices remained stable at Rs2,300 per 15kg basket, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs130-180 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs109-169 per kg.
Ginger prices remained stable at Rs1,500 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs450-550 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs363-424 per kg. Various varieties of garlic prices remained stable at Rs700-1,850 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs250-550 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs182-454 per kg.
Capsicum price went down from Rs1,250 to Rs1,100 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs270-320 against Rs300-350 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs242-278 per kg. Prices of various varieties of pumpkins remained stable at Rs350-700 per 5kg 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 Rs90-182 per kg. Various types of tinda prices went down from Rs800-1,150 to Rs750-1,050 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs230-350 against Rs250-400 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs182-242 per kg.
Eggplant price went up from Rs250 to Rs280 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs80-100 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs73-85 per kg. Cauliflower price remained stable at Rs750 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs220-250 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs169-194 per kg. Spinach price remained stable at Rs200 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs70-80 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs61-67 per kg. Cabbage price remained stable at Rs650 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs175-200 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs157-169 per kg.
Fresh bean price went down from Rs850 to Rs800 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs230-260 per kg, while the official rate is set at Rs182-206 per kg. Okra price remained unchanged at Rs800 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs225-250 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs194-218 per kg. Carrot price remained stable at Rs700 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs175-200 per kg, while the government-fixed rate is Rs157-182 per kg. Bitter gourd price went up from Rs750 to Rs800 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs220-250 per kg, while the official price is set at Rs194-230 per kg. Green chilli price went up from Rs500 to Rs550 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs170-200 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs133-145 per kg. Taro root price remained stable at Rs400 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs120-130 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs97-109 per kg. Cucumber price went up from Rs300 to Rs320 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs100-150 against Rs100-130 per kg, while the official price is fixed at Rs79-87 per kg. Ridge gourd price remained stable at Rs500 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs140-160 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs121-133 per kg. Fresh-arrival peas price remained stable at Rs1,600 per kg in the wholesale market, while in retail they are being sold in the range of Rs450-500 per kg.
The official rate list is issued after close collaboration with all 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 the price monitoring committees, from bottom to top, have totally ignored monitoring the market situation to enforce the official rates. As a result, consumers have been compelled to pay high rates over the past eight years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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