Prices of essential food items show mixed trend

PESHAWAR: Mixed trend in prices of essential food commodities, including sugar, cooking oil, flour, pulses, vegetables, live chicken/meat and others was witnessed in the retail market.

A weekly market survey conducted by media here on Sunday revealed that some food items slightly decreased but others remained unchanged.

A one-kilogramme live chicken/meat was available at Rs340 against the Rs345 in previous week in the open market showing decrease of Rs5 per kilo, the survey said. A dozen of farm eggs were being sold at Rs360 per against the price of Rs340 in the retail market, it added. Cow meat without bone was available at Rs1100 and cow meat with bone is being sold at Rs1000 per kilogramme against the official rates announced by local authorities concerned, according to the survey. Mutton beef was being sold from Rs2500 to Rs3000/kg in the open market, the survey added.

Buyers blamed shopkeepers charging them with artificial rates due to lack of regular checking and price-control monitoring system.

The survey noted the price of sugar remained stable in the open market as available at Rs190-200/kg whereas prices of cooking oil/ghee of various brands and quality also remained unchanged.

No significant further decrease was witnessed in prices of flour in open and wholesale markets as a 20-kg bag was available at Rs1700 against the price of Rs2000 while decrease Rs1000 per 80-kg bag also witnessed, according to the survey. However, it was noticed that wheat flour and other products like maida, soji and choker flour also remained sky-high in the retail market.

Similarly, the retail price of tomato has slightly increased as being sold Rs150 per kg against the price of Rs120 per kg in the previous week as compared to preceding week whereas price of one kilogram of onion has dropped, available at Rs80/kg against the price of Rs100/kg in the previous week. Ginger and garlic remained unchanged as being available at Rs600/kg and Rs200 and Rs300/kg respectively. Green chilli was being sold at Rs120/kg. Lemon is being sold at Rs400/kg in the retail market. On the other hand, prices of other veggie prices remained high in open market.

Peas was being sold at Rs200/kg, capsicum at Rs150/kg, ladyfinger Rs100- 150/kilo, Arvi Rs150-200/kg, turnip at Rs100/kg Eggplant (bringle) Rs100/ kilo, Zucchini (tori) Rs100-120/kilo, Tinda Rs100/kg, cabbage at Rs190-200/kg, red-coloured potatoes available at Rs80-100/kg while white-coloured potatoes are sold at Rs70/kg in the retail market.

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

According to the survey, prices of all brands and qualities of beverages also remained high in the local market. Black tea was being sold at Rs1400-1500 per kg.

A mixed trend was also witnessed in prices of pulses, according to the survey. Good quality rice (sela) was available at Rs360/kg, while low quality rice was available at Rs300-320/kg, while tota rice was available at Rs200-220/kg.

Similarly, the survey furthermore said dal mash was available at Rs480/kg, dal masoor at Rs320/kilo, dal chilka (black) at Rs320/kg, dal chilka (green) at Rs260/kg, moonge at Rs400/kg, dhoti dal at Rs400/kg, dal Channa at Rs450/kg, red bean at Rs440/kg, Gram flour (baisen) at Rs420/kg against Rs280/kg, big-size white Channa at Rs380/kg, small-size white Channa from Rs360/kg.