ISLAMABAD, Jan 6: Prices of 12 essential kitchen items, including onion and garlic, registered a sharp increase during the week ending January 5, 2007. Official figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday showed that the price of chicken increased by 6.44 per cent to Rs60.83 per kg from Rs57.15. An increase of 6.44 per cent was registered in LPG (11kg cylinder) which stood at Rs571.06 as against Rs536.53.

The price of onions increased by 3.89 per cent to Rs34.43 per kg from Rs33.14; garlic by 2.11 per cent to Rs70.01 per kg as against Rs68.56; bananas by 1.75 per cent to Rs28.52 per dozen as against Rs28.03; milk fresh by 1.43 per cent to Rs26.88 per kg from Rs26.50; vegetable ghee (loose) by 1.33 per cent to Rs70.88 per kg as against Rs69.95; curd by 0.87 per cent to Rs31.26 per kg as against Rs30.99; and mustard oil up by 0.67 per cent to Rs76.16 per kg as against Rs75.65.

The price of moong washed increased by 0.37 per cent to Rs53.73 per kg as against Rs53.53; masoor washed by 0.30 per cent to Rs46.62 per kg as against Rs46.48; and gram pulse washed up by 0.26 per cent to Rs46.17 per kg from Rs46.05.

Besides perishable products, the price of manufactured goods like ghee and oil also rose during the last few weeks.