ISLAMABAD: Prices of essential kitchen items, owing to continuous fluctuations in fuel prices, witnessed an increasing trend during the past week compared to the previous week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Saturday revealed.
Traders told this correspondent that prices of edible items had continued to witness an upward trend over the past seven months, mainly owing to the Middle East crisis. They said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted fuel supplies and caused fuel prices to skyrocket, while the situation was further worsened by the expansion of the war to Yemen, which disrupted fuel supplies through Bab-al-Mandab.
Traders argued that the prices of not only edible items but also other daily-use items had increased by at least 30-50 percent over the past seven months owing to higher transportation costs, electricity bills and gas prices. They said prices of vegetables, fruits and other edible items at the farm level had declined significantly over the past two weeks, but high transportation costs were preventing suppliers from passing on the benefit to end consumers.
The survey observed an increase in chicken prices, with the wholesale price rising from Rs13,000 to Rs13,800 per 40 kg. In the retail market, chicken is being sold in the range of Rs340-370 per kg, against Rs320-350 per kg previously, while chicken meat is available in the range of Rs480-550 per kg, against Rs450-500 previously, varying from area to area. Egg prices increased from Rs7,200 to Rs7,300 per carton containing 30 dozen in the wholesale market, while in the retail market, eggs are being sold in the range of Rs265-275 per dozen, against Rs260-270 previously.
Meat prices remained stable, with normal-quality mutton available in the range of Rs2,750-2,850 per kg, the best-quality mutton 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 various varieties of fish also remained unchanged, with different varieties available in the range of Rs600-1,200 per kg.
Sugar prices also increased from Rs6,950 to Rs7,050 per 50 kg bag in wholesale markets. In the retail market, sugar is being sold in the range of Rs150-160 per kg, while the official rate is fixed at Rs147 per kg.
The price of wheat flour decreased slightly from Rs2,150 to Rs2,130 per 15 kg bag in the wholesale market, while in the retail market, it is being sold at Rs2,200 per 15 kg bag.
Owing to the continuous increase in the cost of gas, electricity, petrol, diesel and other inputs, some tandoor items, particularly those sold by the Quetta Café-linked chain, have seen an increase in prices. The price of paratha has increased from Rs60 to Rs70. However, the majority of tandoor operators have not increased the prices of roti, naan and paratha. Roti is available at Rs25, naan at Rs30 and paratha at Rs60. Prices of bakery and confectionery items have also increased. The price of normal-sized bread increased 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 also remained unchanged. 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, with various spices available at Rs150 per 39-gram pack.
Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed an increase, as B-grade ghee/oil prices rose from Rs7,000 to Rs7,150 per carton containing 16 packs in the wholesale market. In the retail market, the commodity is being sold at Rs450-460 per 900-gram pack, against Rs440-450 previously. Meanwhile, prices of premium-quality cooking oil/ghee brands also increased. Dalda ghee rose from Rs2,920 to Rs2,970 per 5-kg tin, while in the retail market it is being sold at Rs3,100, against Rs3,000 previously, 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 price of Rs3,905. The situation reflects that LPG marketing companies, distributors and retailers are overcharging consumers by Rs121-141 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 gives a simple response that district authorities are not cooperating. However, district authorities claim that the regulator has never shown any serious intention to enforce the official prices in the market.
Prices of various varieties of rice remained stable. Top-quality basmati rice is available at Rs13,000 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is being sold at Rs380 per kg. Normal-quality basmati rice is available at Rs11,500 per 40 kg and at Rs330 per kg in the retail market. Good-quality broken basmati rice is available at Rs9,000 per 40 kg and is being sold at Rs260 per kg in the retail market, while normal-quality broken basmati rice is available at Rs7,000 per 40 kg and is being sold in the range of Rs200-220 per kg.
Tea prices remained unchanged, with Lipton Yellow Label available at Rs2,000 per 900-gram pack and Islamabad Tea at Rs1,900 per kg. Turmeric powder prices decreased from Rs610 to Rs550 per kg in the wholesale market, while in the retail market it is being sold in the range of Rs700-850 per kg.
Red chilli powder prices also decreased from Rs590 to Rs550 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 as much as Rs900-1,000 per kg in the absence of effective monitoring by district authorities.
The prices of various pulses also witnessed an increase. The wholesale price of maash pulse increased from Rs13,300 to Rs15,000 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is being sold in the range of Rs450-470 per kg, against Rs420-450 previously. The price of gram increased from Rs8,250 to Rs9,500 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is being sold at Rs260-280 per kg, against Rs250-260 previously. The price of best-quality whole gram increased from Rs9,000 to Rs10,000 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is being sold in the range of Rs300-320 per kg, against Rs270-290 previously.
Prices of various varieties of bean lentils increased from Rs15,000-16,850 to Rs16,000-17,700 per 40 kg, while in the retail market they are being sold in the range of Rs440-520 per kg, against Rs410-500 previously. The wholesale price of moong pulse decreased from Rs12,000 to Rs10,500 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is available at Rs300 per kg, against Rs330 previously. The price of masoor pulse increased from Rs8,300 to Rs9,000 per 40 kg, while in the retail market it is available at Rs280 per kg, against Rs260 previously.
Prices of packed milk brands such as Milk-Pak, Olpers and others remained unchanged. A carton containing one-litre packs is available at Rs4,250, while a one-litre pack is being sold at Rs380 in the retail market. The price of a carton containing 250-ml packs also remained stable at Rs2,530, while a 250-ml pack is being sold at Rs100 in the market.
The price of fresh milk 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. The price of yogurt 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 brands 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, with Safeguard family-size soap available at Rs175 per pack, while Dettol, Lux, Palmolive and other brands are available at Rs160 per pack. Detergent prices, including Ariel, Surf, Brite, Express Power and others, also remained stable at Rs600 per 1-kg pack. Prices of various soft drink brands, including Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others, remained stable, with a family-size bottle available at Rs230.
Overall, vegetable prices remained stable. Potatoes are available in the wholesale market in the range of Rs1,300-2,500 per quintal, while retailers are selling them in the range of Rs45-50 per kg, against the official rate of Rs22-35 per kg.
Onions are available in the wholesale market at Rs7,500-16,000 per quintal and are being sold in the retail market in the range of Rs200-300 per kg, while the official rate is Rs145-209 per kg. Tomatoes remained stable at Rs2,300 per 15-kg basket and are being sold in the retail market in the range of Rs130-180 per kg, against Rs120-160 previously. The official rate is fixed at Rs109-157 per kg.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026