Prices of essential food items surge

PESHAWAR: A steep increase in prices of vegetable, pulses and cooking oil/ghee and other commodities were witnessed in the retail market on Sunday.

A weekly market-survey carried out by media here, revealed prices of the almost all daily use items have touched a new peak in the open market.

Rs20 and Rs40 per kilo/litre increase were registered in prices of different brands of cooking oil and ghee, the survey said.

The price of one-kilogram live chicken has further dropped to Rs350 /kg from Rs385/kg in the open market, the survey said. Price of farm eggs has further increased in the market, as per survey, a dozen of farm eggs were available at Rs400/dozen against the price of Rs340/dozen in the previous and the hen eggs at Rs500-600/dozen.

Cow meat prices also remained sky-high in the retail market. One-kilogram cow meat is being sold at Rs1300/kg without bone and Rs900/kg with bone. Price of mutton beef touched at Rs2400-2500/kg in the open market, it added.

Sugar was available at Rs140/kg in the retail market.

The price of tomatoes has increased as being sold at Rs140/kg against the price of Rs120/kg in the previous week in the retail market. The price of onion has retained high position as available at Rs150/kg. Likewise, ginger and garlic are available at Rs800/kg and Rs400 and Rs600/kg respectively. Green chili was available at Rs120-150/kg, the survey said. Prices of other veggie prices remained high in the open market.

Peas was being sold at Rs300-400 per kg, capsicum at Rs150/kilo, ladyfinger Rs80/ kilo, and curry Rs70/ kg and, Kachalu Rs150-200/ kilo, turnip at Rs100-120/kg Eggplant (bringle) Rs100/ kilo, Zucchini (tori) Rs80-100/ kilo, Tinda Rs100/kg, lemon was being sold at Rs200/ kg, the survey said. Arvi was available at Rs150/kg, Karela (bitter gourd) at Rs150/kg, cabbage at Rs140/kg, red-colored potatoes available at Rs100-120/- per kg while white-colored potatoes are sold at Rs70-80/- per kg in the retail market.

Price of flour also remained unchanged as 20-kg fine flour sac was being sold at Rs2200-2300 and brown-colored flour sac at Rs1800-1900 in the open market. Wheat flours other products like maida, soji and choker flour also remained high in the retail market.

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, the survey added.

The survey said good quality rice (sela) was available at Rs270kg, while low quality rice was available at Rs250/kg, while tota rice was available at Rs180-200/kg.

A mixed trend was also witnessed in prices of pulses, according to the survey. Dal mash was available at Rs550/kg, dal masoor at Rs320 per kilo, dal chilka (black) at Rs320/kg, dal chilka (green) at Rs260/kg, moonge at Rs280/kg, dhoti dal at Rs360/kg, dal channa at Rs280-300/- per kg, white lobiya at Rs340/kg, red bean at Rs440 per kg, Gram flour (baisen) at Rs280/kg, big-size white channa at Rs360 /kg, small-size white channa from Rs300/kg.

Confectionery items, beverages, baby-milk, milk powder, pumpers and others also remained sky-rocketed in the local market.

The prices of the fruits: Apple was available at Rs200-250 per kg, banana Rs100-150 and Rs200/dozen, mango at Rs250/kg, Metha at Rs150 per kg, pomegranate at Rs300 per kg, grapes at Rs300-400/kg.