KARACHI, Oct 1: Kitchen items witnessed a mixed trend as prices of poultry, tomato, ginger, egg and kabuli channa increased, while rates of onion, potato, sugar, garlic and arhar pulse fell during September.

A market survey (from Sept 1 to Oct 1) indicates a phenomenal increase of Rs70 in poultry live bird prices from Rs60 per kg in just one month, while its meat rates now cost Rs120 as compared to Rs105 per kg. In some areas, retailers are charging Rs125 per kg. Similarly, egg prices went up to Rs40 from Rs36 a dozen.

Poultry live bird surged to Rs74 two days back and then fell to Rs70 a kg. Wholesalers attribute the rise to a production fall of 25 per cent across the country. Many believe that the prime reason is Ramazan which is just round the corner. Most suppliers tend to raise prices during the holy month because of higher comparatively inelastic demand situation. The city government has asked the wholesalers to reduce poultry prices but they refused.

Tomato prices shot up to Rs16 from Rs12 per kg. Its wholesale price, arriving from the Balochistan crop, is ruling at Rs10 per kg.

Ginger also became costlier to Rs72 from Rs60 per kg. Chinese ginger is intact at Rs60 per kg in the Subzi Mandi.

Kabuli channa, a popular Ramazan item, has been under pressure for the last one month. Its price has climbed to Rs55 from Rs50 per kg because of costlier imports.

Among losers, onion prices plunged to Rs12 from Rs16 per kg, followed by Re1 decline in potato price to Rs14 from Rs15 per kg.

The new Sindh crop of onion has already got underway, while arrivals from the Balochistan crop is also in full swing, thus keeping the wholesale price between Rs6 and Rs7 per kg. Onion is also being exported.

The wholesalers said the Sindh onion crop was 15-20 per cent higher than the last year and added that there were no chances of shortage or price surge during Ramazan. The Balochistan crop will run till November, while the Sindh crop will come to an end during March/April.

Potato is coming from Punjab’s cold storage and Quetta. The new Punjab crop will arrive in December. Potato is selling between Rs11 and Rs12 per kg at the wholesale stage. The retail rate of potato fell to Rs14 from Rs15 per kg.

The price of garlic, arriving from China, is Rs30-35, while the commodity arriving from the local crop is selling at Rs50 per kg. Garlic is available at Rs48 per kg at the retail side.

Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market (New Subzi Mandi) President Haji Shahjehan said that there would be no shortage of any commodity in the market as both the local crop and imports had been stable.

Pulses prices remain unchanged, but when they are compared with the latest price list, issued by the city government, the rates have either been on the lower side or same from the current prices.

For instance, the CDGK has fixed the price of gram pulse at Rs27 per kg, but retailers are selling it at Rs30 in some areas despite the fact that its wholesale price has been hovering between Rs24 and Rs25 per kg for the last two to three months.

Daal mash washed No.1 and No.2 qualities are currently selling at Rs45 and Rs36 per kg, respectively, while their Ramazan rates have been fixed at Rs39 and Rs37 per kg. Masoor No.1 and No.2 qualities are currently ruling at Rs45 and Rs42 per kg, respectively, while their Ramazan rates have been fixed at Rs38 and Rs36 per kg.

Adviser to the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed says that the increase in prices of pulses at the retail stage clears the dust as to where the actual increase exists, despite the fact that wholesale rates ahead of Ramazan have been stable. He points out that the city government always holds wholesalers responsible for the price hike and checks stock situation at the wholesale stage, while retailers enjoy free hand in fleecing the consumers, besides piling up stocks. Retailers say that their prices depend on the wholesale rate and any fluctuation at the wholesale level makes an impact at the retail stage.