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Pulses, rice, chicken, tomato prices on rise
KARACHI, April 2: After wheat flour merchants who
unduly charged higher price for flour, now
consumers are at the mercy of retailers who are
demanding higher prices for pulses, rice, chicken,
tomato, etc.
A random market survey (from March 1 to April 1)
reveals a price hike in gram pulse No.1 quality to
Rs26-28 from Rs25 per kg as its wholesale price
jumped by Rs2 to set at Rs22 per kg. However, No.2
quality was still selling at last month's rate of
Rs22 per kg as its wholesale price was intact at
Rs20.
Mash prices flared up to Rs30 per kg from Rs24.
Masoor (washed) price surged to Rs30-35 per kg
from Rs 24-26 as its wholesale price was being
quoted at Rs32 per kg. Arhar price was also being
quoted at Rs35 per kg from Rs32. Moong prices
remained unchanged at Rs28 and Rs30 for No.1 and
No.2 quality, respectively.
Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA)
chairman Anis Majeed attributed the price hike in
gram pulse to lower production of at least 40 per
cent from the local crop.
Last year, the country produced 750,000 tons of
gram pulse, out of which 75,000 tons were exported
to India, Bangladesh, etc. He said various pulses
were arriving from Australia, Canada, Burma and
Turkey at higher rates due to rising trend in
global prices, which was being reflected in the
domestic prices.
A total of 15,587 tons ($4 million) of pulses
found way into Pakistan in February 2004, as
compared to 8,769 tons ($2.4 million) in February
2003. However, during July-February 2003-04,
pulses imports fell by 48 and 50 per cent in terms
of quantity and values to 158,035 tons ($45
million) as compared to 304,947 tons ($90 million)
in the same period of 2002-03.
Chicken prices rose to Rs58 per kg from Rs42,
while meat prices also went up to Rs100 from Rs75
per kg owing to restoring confidence of the
consumers who had suspended purchase of white meat
due to a bird flu scare during November-January
2003-04. Massive fall in demand of chicken had
inflicted a loss of Rs5.4 billion to the industry.
In rice, price of Irri-6 rose to Rs18 from Rs16
per kg, while in some areas, it was being retailed
at Rs15. Irri-9 price surged to Rs25 from Rs22 per
kg, while Basmati 86 rice price was now being
quoted at Rs28 as compared to Rs20-22 per kg a
month back.
Tomato prices has again come under pressure and
touched Rs15-20 from Rs10 per kg as a result of
sizable shipments being made to the upcountry from
the Sindh crop. Ginger prices continued to
maintain the last month's price level of Rs80-100
per kg due to costlier imports from China,
Thailand and Singapore.
Ginger from China is being imported at
$1,200-1,300 per ton, chairman of Falahi Anjuman
Wholesale Vegetable Market, Subzi Mandi Super
Highway, Haji Shahjehan said. He said lady finger
(from Sindh crop) was also being shipped to
Punjab, which resulted in high wholesale price to
Rs25-30 per kg from Rs15-20.
The burden on consumers had somewhat subsided in
shape of price stability in other varieties of
greens as onion prices plummeted to Rs8 from last
month's Rs10-12 per kg, thanks to better supplies
from the Sindh crop.
Potato price (from new Punjab crop) also remained
under control at last month's level of Rs7-8 per
kg on account of frequent supplies from the
producing areas. Garlic prices remained unchanged
at Rs40 per kg due to its stable wholesale price
at Rs15-20 per kg.
In fresh milk, retailers were still charging Rs25
per litre. No relief was witnessed in loose ghee
prices which remained in the range of Rs60-62 per
kg of last month. The Hilal 16-kg tin was selling
at Rs940, while Meezan and Kissan were available
at Rs950.
Consumers had remained at the mercy of clever meat
merchants who were charging Rs200-240 per kg for
mutton in various markets and Rs100-120 per kg for
bachia meat with bones.
The reports of new wheat crop arrival made a
sentimental impact on prices of atta No.2.5 that
fell to Rs13-14, from last month's Rs16 per kg.
The 80-kg bag of atta No.2.5 was selling between
Rs950-1,100 despite arrival of new crop. Sugar
prices remained stable at Rs16-18 per kg.
The DAWN |
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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