Prices of most of the essential kitchen items remained on high side during the past week as compared with corresponding week, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed. The survey noted that cauliflower price has crossed Rs 80 per kg in the wholesale market while in retail it is being sold at Rs 90-100 per kg, onions being sold at Rs 70 per kg, tomato at Rs 80 per kg, wheat flour at Rs 43 per kg, normal quality cooking oil at Rs 150 per kg while good quality cooking oil is being available at Rs 205 per kg.
Potato was available at Rs 50 per kg in wholesale market while at Rs 60 in retail market, lemon at Rs 60 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 80 in retail market, ginger at Rs 300 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 360-400 in retail market, garlic at Rs 100 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 160 in retail, capsicum (Simla Mirch) at Rs 50 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 70 in retail market.
The cabbage is being sold at Rs 50 per kg in whole sale market and Rs 60-70 in retail market, green peas at Rs 100 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 130 in retail market and radish at Rs 15 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 25 in retail market. Carrot prices have also touched record high which in wholesale market was available at Rs 50 per kg whereas Rs 70 per kg in retail market.
Survey further revealed that prices of an entire range of vegetables including onions, tomato, potato, lemon, ginger, garlic, capsicum, cabbage, green peas, radish and carrot have gone out of reach for the poor masses. Once again eggplant remained the cheapest vegetable during the week under review which is available at Rs 20 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 30 per kg in retail market, while ginger was the costliest vegetable with Rs 300 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 360-400 per kg in retail market.
Eggs price has also witnessed an increase of Rs 10 per dozen from Rs 110 to Rs 120 per dozen, live chicken price has witnessed an increase of Rs 20 per kg from Rs 140 per kg to Rs 160 per kg and chicken meat registered an increase of Rs 30 per kg from Rs 250 per kg to Rs 280 per kg.
However, prices of most of the pulses remain stable in the market, while sugar price has soared by Rs 3 per kg from Rs 60 per kg to Rs 63 per kg, per 20 kg bag of wheat flour is being sold at Rs 810 and per kg good quality rice is available at Rs 150 per kg. Traders at wholesale vegetable and fruit markets while commenting on high prices of the essential commodities told this correspondent that current increase in the prices of different vegetables and other items was a result of high transportation cost from field to market places as well as reduced supply of some of the vegetables including onions, potato and tomato.
They added that steep increase was also witnessed in the prices of fresh milk and curd, as fresh milk was available at Rs 110 per litre while curd was being sold at Rs 115 per kg last week as compared to the preceding week. Prices of some of the fruits have registered a decline during the week under review as banana is being sold at Rs 50 per dozen against corresponding week’s rate of Rs 60 per dozen, apple at Rs 70 per kg against Rs 100 per kg, guava is available at Rs 60 per kg against Rs 70 per kg, pomegranate is being sold at Rs 120 per kg against Rs 150 per kg.
