ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: Prices of 17 daily kitchen items including tomatoes registered an increase of more than 10 per cent during the week ended on December 8, 2006 putting pressure on the monthly income of the low income people.

Official figures released by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Saturday showed that price of tomatoes alone increased by 45.55 per cent to Rs48.09 per kg as against Rs33.04 in the previous week.

The sudden increase in the price of tomatoes was attributed to delay in the supply of the commodity from farms to markets. The new crop was expected to start arriving in the market in the next couple of weeks.

The price of eggs was up by 3.07 per cent to Rs46.99 per dozen during the week under review as against Rs45.59; mustard oil price rose by 1.27 per cent to Rs74.09 per kg from Rs73.16 per kg; red chilies 1.402 per cent to Rs96.65 per kg as against Rs95.67 per kg, veg ghee loose 0.89 per cent to Rs67.16 per kg as against Rs66.57, firewood 0.78 per cent to Rs189.08 per 40 kg from Rs187.61.

The price of cooked dal plate was up by 0.67 per cent to Rs17.94 per kg as against Rs17.82, cooked beef plate 0.60 per cent to Rs30.18 as against Rs30, garlic 0.57 per cent to Rs65.45 per kg as against Rs65.08, chicken 0.52 per cent to Rs58.38 per kg as against Rs58.08, milk powdered Nido 0.50 per cent to Rs118.89 per 400 gm as against Rs118.30.

The price of bananas increased by 0.47 per cent to Rs28.03 per dozen as against Rs27.90, wheat 0.33 per cent to Rs12.10 per kg as against Rs12.06, tea prepared 0.32 per cent to Rs6.25 per kg as against Rs6.23, rice irri-6 by 0.31 per cent to Rs16.28 per kg as against Rs16.23, veg ghee tin by 0.15 to Rs214.12 per 2.5 litre as against Rs213.80 and cooking oil (tin) 2.5 litre 0.14 per cent to Rs214.52 as against Rs214.21.

The price of vegetable ghee, which was an essential ingredient of cooking, was on rise for the last one month.