HARIPUR, Nov 8: Rates of various kitchen items declined against a spike in rates witnessed during the first week of Ramazan, retailers and consumers said here on Saturday.

While prices of flour, fruits and meat remained relatively stable, vegetable rates declined both in the wholesale and retail markets.

Consumers said that retail market prices of perishable commodities, specially vegetables, which rose by 40 per cent and 60 per cent against pre-Ramazan rates, declined by as much as 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

They said that high-quality green peas, which consumers bought at prices ranging between Rs36 and Rs40 per kilogramme at the start of Ramazan, are being sold at Rs20 and Rs22 per kilogramme; price of carrots is now Rs16 per kg after surging to Rs40 per kg in the same period; tomatoes’ prices now ranged between Rs24 and Rs26 per kg after consumers were forced to buy them at Rs40 per kg, prices of onions declined to Rs12 after being sold between Rs14 and Rs16 per kg, green chillies which were Rs50 per 5 kg dipped to Rs38 per 5 kg.

Rates of brinjal, spinach, radish, remained firm in the same period.

Despite the quantum jump in sales of fruits during Ramazan, prices of various fruits showed slight or no change.

Prices of apples of various qualities now ranged between Rs25 and Rs35 after surging to rates between Rs36 and Rs55, pomegranate presently sold at Rs45 per kg against their previous rates of Rs60 per kg, banana were being sold at prices between Rs22 and Rs 24 per dozen against previous prices of Rs28-35 per dozen, grapes of various qualities are being sold at prices between Rs50 and Rs75 per kg while they were being sold in the range of Rs60-90 per kg.

Rates of grocery items, specially wheat flour, could not be contained despite the provincial government’s assurances in this regard. Consumers could buy a 20-kg flour bag for Rs180 at certain sales centres established by the NWFP government but a majority of the people were deprived of the facility because of the limited availability of stocks.

In the open market, a 20-kg bag of fine quality flour was being sold at prices between Rs200 and Rs220, while flour (mixed) was being sold at Rs235-240 per 20-kg, supper fine quality flour was being retailed at rates between Rs240 and Rs250 per 20-kg bag.

Meanwhile, butchers remained unconcerned about the directives of the district administration and were selling beef at rates between Rs70 and Rs80 per kg while mutton was being sold at Rs140-50 per kg against government-fixed rates of Rs55 and Rs110 per kg, respectively.