ISLAMABAD: Apart from tomatoes and onions the prices of essential kitchen items remained stable during the third week of September as chicken and eggs showed a slight decline, revealed a survey conducted by media on Saturday.
According to the survey the price of chicken items witnessed a substantial decline as it down to Rs335 compared to Rs360 per kg in previous week. Chicken prices went down from Rs13500 per 40kg to 13000 in the wholesale market, and chicken meat is being sold in the range of Rs550-600 against 600-650 in the previous week.
However number of consumers in Islamabad posh sectors complained that majority of meat shop owners selling chicken in range of Rs360-380 and its meat at Rs700-750 per kg without any fear.
During the week biggest increase is witnessed in the prices of tomatoes which is sold above Rs300 per kg in the retail market against the Government rate of Rs148 per kg.
The district rate of tomatoes is Rs135 and wholesale price is 123 per kg. But contrary to these rates, Irani tomatoes are sold at 280 per kg, whereas tomatoes from Swat are provided in range of Rs300-320 per kg in the Sabzi Mandi. “We’re selling tomatoes at Rs320 per kg in which our profit margin is just Rs10-15. “Situation can only be improved if the supply of tomatoes from Afghanistan will begin without any hindrance.
Once the supply improves the price of tomatoes will come down to Rs200/ kg easily,” a vegetable shop owner in I-8 Sector told this scribe. He said previous week supply of tomatoes from Afghanistan was restored which brought the prices down, but now again hundreds of trucks at Pak-Afghan border are stuck due to various reasons causing huge shortage of tomatoes in the market. He feared that if the supply from Afghanistan was not restored soon the prices of onions and potatoes would shoot up.
It may be mentioned here that according to Ministry of National Food Security & Research estimates, due to massive rainfalls and consequently the floods, 44 percent of the vegetable crops have been destroyed and the worst affected were tomatoes, potatoes and onion crops
Ginger price is stable at Rs1,500/1,600 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs450-500 per kg, garlic prices witnessed a mixed trend as local garlic is available at Rs800 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs220-250 per kg, Quetta garlic price went up from Rs1,000 to Rs1,200 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs280-300 per kg and China garlic price went up from Rs1,150 to Rs1,250 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs270-320 per kg, however, majority of vendors are selling local garlic in the name of China/Quetta to maximize their profits, while the government has fixed local garlic price at Rs198-215, Quetta garlic at Rs242-253 and China garlic at Rs286-308.
The prices of wheat flour after showing upward trend for quite sometime now showing stability. The best quality wheat flour ex-mill price of 15kg bag down by almost Rs200 per 15kg bag is being sold at Rs1,600 in retail compared to Rs1800 in the previous week.
The tandoor owners have also kept the price of roti, naan and paratha unchanged. Roti is priced at Rs20, naan at from Rs23-25 and paratha from Rs50 to Rs60. The tandoor owners took a plea that when the prices of wheat flour up the local administration didn’t allow them to raise the prices of roti, naan and paratha and that’s why decrease in prices doesn’t make any logic.
No fluctuation was also witnessed in bakery and confectionery item prices as normal size bread is available at Rs140, small size at Rs100/110. The prices of cooked food items remained stable as a cooked daal/vegetable plate at a normal hotel is available at Rs320, cooked beef plate at Rs550, cooked chicken plate at Rs500, cooked mutton at Rs750 and naan/roti is being sold at Rs25/30.
The survey observed no changes in sugar price which is available at Rs8,500 per 50kg bag for license holder retailers in wholesale market while non-license holder retailers are purchasing the commodity from open market at Rs9,200, which reflects the complete failure of the government to ensure the availability of sugar in the market at official rate of Rs172 per kg as majority of the retailers are selling the commodity at Rs190/200 per kg.
Mutton and beef prices remained stable as normal quality mutton was available at Rs2,200 per kg, normal quality boneless beef at Rs1,400 per kg, and normal beef at Rs1,100 per kg. Various varieties of fish are available in the range of Rs500 to Rs900 per kg.
No changes were witnessed in tea prices, as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,200 per 900 grams pack and Islamabad Tea is available at Rs1,800 per kg; normal quality turmeric powder price in wholesale remained stable at Rs550 per kg which retailers are selling at Rs800 per kg and normal quality red chilli powder price also remained stable at Rs550 per kg which retailers selling at Rs800 per kg.
Pulses prices remained stable as maash pulse is available at Rs500 per kg, gram pulse at Rs300 per kg, whole gram pulse at Rs300 per kg, various varieties of bean lentils in the range of Rs430-520 per kg, moong pulse at Rs350 per kg, and masoor pulse at Rs280 per kg. The prices of branded spices such as Shan, National, and others, also remained stable as a pack of 39 grams of spice is available at Rs140.
The prices of the various varieties of rice remained stable as the best quality basmati in wholesale market is available at Rs13,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs380 per kg, normal quality Basmati at Rs12,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs350 per kg, and broken Basmati at Rs9,300 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs260 per kg.
Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed a mixed trend as the price of B-grade ghee/oil went up from Rs6,200 to Rs6,500 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs420 per pack of 900 grams, while best quality cooking oil/ghee brands such as Dalda ghee in wholesale market are available at Rs2,680 per 5kg tin which in retail are being sold at Rs2,800 per 5-litre bottle. However the prices of vegetable and palm oil increased substantially in range of Rs100-150 of 5kg tin and Rs200-300 of 10kg tin.
Prices of packed milk brands Milk-Pak, Olpers and others remained stable at Rs2,350 per carton while in retail 250ml packed milk is being sold at Rs95 per 250ml, similarly litre pack at Rs370 per litre. Fresh milk prices in some parts of the twin cities are being sold at Rs220 per kg while in some parts are still being sold at Rs230 per kg and yogurt price is stable at Rs250 per kg. No changes were observed in the prices of powder milk such as Nido and Lactogen as 400gram Nido powder milk is available at Rs1,320 and 200gram pack at Rs700 per pack.
Bathing soaps’ prices remained stable as family-size Safeguard is available at Rs160 per pack while Dettol, Lux, Palmolives and others are available at Rs150 per pack, and detergent prices’ such as Ariel Surf, Brite, Express Power and others are available at Rs530 per kg pack. The prices of various brands of cold drinks such as Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others remained stable as family-size bottle is available at Rs230.
Officially the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has fixed Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) at Rs233 per kg, while retailers are still selling 15kg domestic LPG cylinder at Rs4,000 against Rs3,500 OGRA fixed price reflecting an overcharging of Rs500 per cylinder.
Moreover, the retailers through decanting are selling the LPG on further escalated rates as they charge Rs300-330 per kg, reflecting an overcharging of Rs67-92 per kg.
LPG traders and distributors have blamed the marketing companies for higher prices, saying the companies are supplying them the commodity on higher prices as a result retailers are left with no option other than shifting the price to the end consumers.
According to LPG traders, the LPG marketing companies and distributors are earning billions of rupees profit by overcharging the consumers, while the OGRA which totally depends on district administration including police have totally ignored the enforcement of official commodity rates.
Moreover, LPG distributors and retailers are freely selling LPG by decanting in violation of the laws as a result every other day LPG cylinder blasts are claiming precious lives.
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