KARACHI, March 1: Except for price hike in some pulses, prices of majority of essential items have either fallen or remained pegged to their previous levels owing to regular supplies from the producing areas and thin demand from buyers.

Retailers can be blamed for overcharging in pulses sector as there was stability in prices at the wholesale level.

A price survey (from February 1 to March 1) reveals that retailers are charging Rs30 per kg for No.1 mung quality as compared to the last month’s Rs28 per kg despite no upward change in its wholesale price of Rs25 per kg last month. Mash, which was being sold at Rs26 per kg last month, is now priced at Rs28-30 per kg. Its wholes price has been intact at Rs23 per kg in the last one month.

Majority of retailers are demanding Rs33-35 per kg for No.1 quality of masur as compared to the last month’s price of Rs28-31 per kg. Its wholesale price has been unchanged at Rs28 per kg since last one-and-a-half months. No change has been witnessed in the price of arhar at Rs28-30 per kg, while gram pulse price is also held unchanged at Rs28-30 per kg. It was available at Rs25 per kg at wholesale level.

Chairman, Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed, said the wholesale market was facing a dull session these days and prices of various pulses had either declined or remained unchanged.

He said recent rains had brighten the prospects of good crop for gram pulse this year. “We are expecting 800,000-900,000 tons production of gram pulse this year as compared to 500,000-600,000 tons last year, he said, adding that Pakistan’s consumption of gram pulse is 600,000 tons per year and the country also imports in case of gap between demand and supply.

He said this year “our members are planning to export gram pulse to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India over good crop prospects. Pakistan imported 314,358 tons of various pulses in July-January 2002-03 worth $94 million as compared to 237,815 tons of $71 million in value in the same period of last fiscal.

In vegetables also, retailers are active in minting money at consumer’s cost despite drop or stability in wholesale prices.

Onion prices have remained unchanged at Rs5 to Rs6 per kg and its wholesale prices are hovering between Rs2 and Rs3 per kg. In some areas, pushcart owners are selling 2.5 kg of onion at Rs10.

A representative of Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market of Super Highway, Haji Shahjehan, said that the onion from new Sindh crop was now in oversupply position due to bumper crop. Currently it is being exported to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. There is now a need to find new markets and the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) should endeavour its efforts in this regard, besides holding talks with various countries to lower the import duties so that surplus commodities could be exported.

He said wholesale price of potato from Punjab crop had dropped to Rs2.5-3 per kg from Rs5 per kg, but retailers are charging last month’s rate of Rs8 to Rs10 per kg. The mediocre quality is being retailed at Rs5 per kg. Potato is being exported to Malaysia and Colombo. Shahjehan said growers were suffering losses due to declining price of onion and potato.

Wholesale tomato prices, which were hovering between Rs6 and Rs7 per kg, have now declined to Rs3-4 per kg, but retailers are charging at Rs8 to Rs10 per kg in various areas. Tomato is arriving from Sindh’s new crop and is being transported to Lahore, Islamabad and various parts of Punjab also from Karachi.

The price of garlic (arriving from China, Singapore and local crop) is held unchanged at Rs40 per kg, while the rates of ginger, being imported from Singapore and China, have also stayed at Rs40 per kg. Their wholesale rates are ranging between Rs18 and Rs22 per kg.

Wholesale price of peas has also plunged to Rs8 per kg from Rs15-20 per kg owing to frequent supplies from producing areas.

Sugar prices have caved in to Rs19 per kg from Rs20-21 per kg due to drop in wholesale price as a result of arrival of the commodity from the sugar mills.

Poultry live birds prices have declined by 28 per cent to Rs50 per kg from Rs64 per kg last month, while the rates of meat have also fallen to Rs85-90 per kg as compared to Rs110 per kg. Egg prices have also dropped to Rs21 per dozen from Rs37 per dozen.

Atta No.2.5 and fine atta prices, which increased to Rs12 per kg as a result of increase in wholesale price of wheat on January 1 to Rs880 per 80 kg bag, have depicted no change. The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has pointed out that the current wheat, which are being supplied to flour millers, are not fit for human consumption.

Chairman, PFMA, Bilal Aslam Soofi, in a statement has said that their members are facing problems in obtaining wheat supplies, and the private parties are being given preference in supplying the government wheat, which is meant for supply to flour mills for production of atta.

The PFMA chief said private parties were being supplied good quality wheat whereas flour millers were being forced to lift deteriorated and infested old stocks of previous years, which would certainly cause stomach trouble to the public.

He urged the Sindh chief minister to intervene and order stoppage of supply of inferior quality wheat, and the flour mills be supplied good quality wheat.

Various varieties of rice have shown no upward change in prices. Retail price ofIrri-6 was now being retailed at Rs11- 12.50 per kg. Irri-9 was still being sold at Rs18-19 per kg. Basmati Kernal prices stayed between Rs30 and Rs40 per kg.