Prices of most of the kitchen items have registered a substantial increase especially vegetables and fruits during this week past against the corresponding period of last week, a survey carried out by Business Recorderrevealed. During the week under review the prices of onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, mutton, beef, potatoes, okra, peas, bengan, beans, shimla mirch cauliflower, lemon and chicken increased by Rs 10 to Rs 40 per Kg.
During the week under review onion was sold at Rs 250 per 5 kg at wholesale market, while in retail market it was available at Rs 300 per 5 kg or Rs 60 per kg against last week price of Rs 50 per kg. Last week tomatoes were being sold at Rs 25, which are being sold at Rs 50 per kg this week, potatoes are available at Rs 30 per kg against last week prices of Rs 20 per kg. Similarly prices of live chicken as well as chicken meat have increased by Rs 10 per kg and Rs 20 per kg.
Last week live chicken was available at Rs 120 per kg, while chicken meat was available at Rs 210 per kg, which this week are being sold at Rs 130 per kg and Rs 220 per kg. Mutton and beef prices have increased by Rs 20 per kg and Rs 10 per kg, last week mutton and beef were available at Rs 400 per kg and Rs 280 per kg, which at present are being sold at Rs 450 per kg and Rs 320 per kg.
During the week under review okra and karela prices increased by Rs 10 per kg and Rs 30 per kg, last week okra was being sold at Rs 70 per kg and karela at Rs 40 per kg, which are now being sold at Rs 80 per kg and Rs 70 per kg. During the week under review prices of garlic, lemon and ginger have once again registered an increase of Rs 40 to Rs 80 per kg, during last week garlic was being sold at Rs 160 per kg, lemon at Rs 120 and ginger at Rs 180 per kg, which this week past have jumped to Rs 200 per kg, Rs 200 per kg and Rs 240 per kg.
Niaz Mohammed, a meat seller talking to Business Recorder said that meat sellers across the country are selling meat at different prices, adding that in some areas of twin cities mutton is being sold at Rs 450 per kg, while in most areas it is being sold at Rs 500 to Rs 520 per kg.
When asked about the different prices being charged by the meat sellers, he said that there are many reasons behind increasing meat prices including live animal exports to Afghanistan and Middle East countries. Some of the traders are purchasing meat from government administered butcher house at prescribed rates, where buffalo meat costs Rs 200 per kg and goat meat costs Rs 400 per kg, while meat sellers in retail market are selling mutton at Rs 450 to 520 per kg depending on the distance from the butcher house, he added.
Niaz also said that in some parts of the twin cities, local butchers have established private butcher houses and are selling at lower rates compared to those retailers who purchase from government run butcher house and resell it to the general public. However, during the week under review the prices of cucumbers decreased from Rs 25 per kg to Rs 20 per kg, eggs from Rs 84 per dozen to Rs 72 per dozen and carrot from Rs 20 to Rs 15 per kg.
While sugar, cooking oil/ghee, pulses, entire range of spices, wheat flour, rice, LPG and tea (packed and loose) remained unchanged during the week under review. During the week under review prices of most of the fruits including apples, strawberry, melon, watermelon, guava registered an increase in price against the previous week. Apples are being sold at Rs 125 kg, guava at Rs 70 per kg, melon at Rs 60 per kg, watermelon at Rs 30-40 per kg, strawberry at Rs 200-250 per kg against the prices of corresponding week when apple was sold at Rs 110 per kg, guava at Rs 50-60 per kg, strawberry at Rs 160-180 per kg, and melon at Rs 50 per kg.
