AMJAD ALI SHAH

PESHAWAR: Prices of most of the essential food items remained unchanged last week, as compared to the preceding week. During a visit to local markets in the provincial capital by this scribe, it was observed that majority of perishable and non-perishable food items prices remained stable.

According to wholesalers and vendors, the prices might go down with the arrival of fresh seasonal crops in the market. However, they rejected the impression that the declining prices had anything to do with the petroleum products’ prices. It was observed that a bag of 49kg good quality rice is being sold at Rs.4800 to Rs5200 bad as was in the corresponding week while low quality per 49-Kg rice was available at Rs.4000.

Similarly, a 49 kg bag of Kabali Moonge is available at Rs.6800, Dal Channa at Rs.3500 and Rs.3600, Malika Masoor at Rs.5800, big channa at Rs.4200, red bean at Rs.4300, Dal mash green at Rs.7000, red mauwa at Rs.7000 to Rs.8000, Dal mash yellow at Rs.7400 to Rs.7200, Dotti dal at Rs.7300 to Rs.7600.

Despite decrease in prices in Punjab, prices of various brands of ghee/cooking oil remained steady, as 16-kilogram tin available with range of Rs.1710 to Rs.2380. A five kilogram onion is available at Rs.200, which was being sold at Rs.150 to Rs120 during the preceding week, showing a slight increase. Similarly, price of tomoto also registered increase from Rs.150 per five-kilogram last week to Rs.180 per 5 kg.

During the survey, it was witnessed that prices of the vegetable registered slight decrease. During the visit it was notice that prices of eggs remained unchanged as a box containing 300 eggs is being sold at Rs.2400, while in retail market egg is available at Rs.100 per dozen.