KARACHI, May 1: The burden on consumers had slightly eased in the last one month as they paid lesser to buy regular kitchen items thanks to uninterrupted supplies of the local crops and imports.

Poultry products, however, turned out to be the sole burden on consumers as their prices rose despite low demand and rising heat wave. Egg prices went up to Rs22 per dozen from Rs19. Poultry live bird prices surged to Rs50 per kg from Rs49 per kg while the chicken meat is selling at Rs85 to Rs88 per kg from Rs80 per kg.

A monthly price survey (from May 1 to April 1) showed that the prices of onion dropped to Rs12-13 per kg from Rs18-20 per kg following imports from India and Iran and arrival of Balochistan crop. Around 4,000 tons of onion have been imported from India.

In wholesale markets, onion was selling at Rs9 per kg as compared to Rs12 to Rs 13 per kg.

The president, Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, New Subzi Mandi, Haji Shahjehan said that the price of onion is expected to decline in the current month when the Balochistan crop will arrive in full flow. Besides, the new crop from NWFP also starts arriving from the current month.

He said that onion price was shot due to lower crop as a result of water shortage coupled with farmers’ switch over to other crops after suffering losses last season.

Exports of onion to Dubai, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, which had slowed down drastically since the price flare up in the local markets, may gain pace in the current month. Pakistani onion had become uncompetitive as India, Turkey and Iran were offering much cheaper prices as compared to local exporters.

Tomato, which surged to Rs30-34 per kg, has come down to Rs10-12 depending on the quality owing to increase in supply from Sindh crop. The wholesale price of tomato in Subzi Mandi, which ranged between Rs25 to Rs28 per kg last month, plunged to Rs5 to Rs8.

Potato remained unchanged at Rs8 to Rs10 per kg due to supplies from Punjab. Its wholesale price hovers between Rs5 to Rs6 per kg.

Prices of ginger caved in to Rs40 per kg from Rs60 following imports from China. Its wholesale price ranges between Rs30 to Rs35 per kg from Rs50 to Rs55 per kg.

Garlic, from China and local crop, sells at old rates of Rs40 per kg.

Sugar prices also suffered a fall of Re1 per kg to Rs22 per kg from Rs23 per kg but in some posh areas, retailers are charging Rs23 per kg.

No major change was seen in the prices of various rice verities in the last one month. Irri 6-9 is selling at Rs11-18 per kg while the price of various varieties of basmati stay at Rs24- 36 per kg. Kernal is being sold at Rs40-45 per kg. The minimum price of basmati is quoted at Rs20-28 per kg, while its lowest quality is retailed at Rs18-20 per kg.

Pulses prices also held unchanged. Gram pulse (small) from Ethiopia and Australia is selling at Rs30 to 35 per kg while (big quality) is available at Rs40 per kg. Its wholesale price is Rs31 per kg.

Mung (from local crop) is being retailed at old rate of Rs30-32 per kg while its wholesale price is Rs 27 to Rs 28 per kg. Mash (washed and whole), arriving from Burma, sells at Rs34 to Rs35 per. In some areas mash is available at Rs30 to Rs32 per kg. Prices of arhar (from local crop) and masur (arriving from Australia and Canada) depicted no change, pegging at last month’s level of Rs28-30 per kg each. Arhar’s high quality sells at Rs34 to Rs36 per kg.

Atta No. 2.5 sells at Rs9 to Rs10 per kg while fine atta produced by mills is tagged at Rs10 to Rs11.