Rising fuel rates drive up prices of essential kitchen items

PESHAWAR: A considerable increase in prices of important kitchen items was witnessed in the retail market, it was revealed in a weekly market survey conducted by Business Recorder here on Sunday.

It was noticed prices of most of the daily use items, like live chicken, farm eggs, sugar, vegetables, pulses, fruits, flour and others have touched a new peak, as the consumers have complained prices are completely out of the reach of their purchasing power.

On the other hand, the traders and shopkeepers in the provincial capital here attributed that the prices of most of the daily use items are rising due to the continued fluctuation in the fuel prices.

Price of live chicken/meat has jumped at Rs380 from Rs350 in the previous week, showing an increase of Rs30/kg in the retail market, whereas a dozen of farm eggs was being sold at Rs260 against the price of Rs240 per dozen.

Buyers said the butchers have charged them with a self-imposed rate as according to them, cow meat without bone was charged at Rs1350 and cow meat with bone was being sold at Rs1500 per kilogramme against the official rates of Rs900 per kilogramme announced by local authorities concerned.

The price of mutton beef was being sold from Rs3000 per kg in the open market, the survey added.

Similarly, the price of sugar remained unchanged as the commodity was being sold at Rs150 per kilogramme in the retail market.

Lemon was available at Rs400 per kilogramme against the price of Rs500 per kilogramme while green chili was being sold at Rs100-150 per kilogramme, the survey said.

A kilo LPG gas was being sold at Rs450 per kilo in the open market, the survey said.

A 20-kg flour bag has increased at Rs3200 against the price of Rs3000 and Rs2900 in the wholesale and retail market which was selling at Rs2700 and Rs2500 respectively in the previous week, the survey said.

Likewise, the price of a 80-kg sac has gone up at Rs14000 against the price of Rs13000 in the wholesale market.

Onion has also touched a new peak as the commodity was available at Rs200-250 per kilogramme against the price of Rs80-100 per kilogramme.

The survey noted that the price of tomatoes remained unchanged as the commodity is being sold at Rs100-150 per kilogramme against the price of Rs200/kg.

Likewise, a bullish trend retained in prices of cooking oil/ghee of various brands.

Buyers have complained that prices of food grains, especially those which were daily use items in the kitchen, were beyond their purchasing power.

The soaring prices continue to break the back of the common man, they said.

Prices of pulses remained unchanged in the retail market, according to the survey.

The survey said good quality (sela) was available at Rs 360 per kilogramme, while low quality rice was available at Rs 300-320 per kilogramme, while toota rice was available at Rs 200-220 per kilogramme.

Similarly, the survey furthermore said dal mash was available at Rs 480, dal masoor at Rs 320 per kilogramme, dal chilka (black) at Rs 320 per kilogramme, dal chilka (green) at Rs 260 per kilogramme, moonge at Rs 400 per kilogramme, dhoti dal at Rs 400 per kilogramme, dal Channa at Rs 450 per kilogramme, red bean at Rs 440 per kilogramme, Gram flour (baisen) at Rs 420 per kilogramme against Rs 280 per kilogramme, big-size white Channa at Rs 380 per kilogramme, small-size white channa from Rs 360 per kilogramme.

Fruits, which are staple, but prices, are sky-rocketed in the local market, according to the survey.

Apple was available at Rs 400-500 per kilogramme, banana at Rs200 per dozen, garma at Rs300-400 per piece, mangoes at Rs200 and Rs300 per kilogramme, leechi at Rs1000 per kilogram, Jaman at Rs800 per kilogramme.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026