KARACHI: The prices of essential commodities have relatively been stable despite an increase in diesel and CNG prices in the last few months.

On Tuesday, flour millers in Sindh had reduced the price of flour no. 2.5 to Rs1,870 per 50 kg bag from Rs1,920 followed by fine atta 50 kg bag price to Rs2,010 from Rs2,035. A miller said the price of Ashrafi and Bake Parlour 10 kg flour bag has been reduced by Rs10 per bag.

The flour miller attributed drop in flour price to arrival of new wheat crop in the market which is priced at Rs3,250 per 100 kg bag. He added that the demand for flour has been normal.

“Wholesale prices of sugar and pulses have come down despite higher transportation costs on account of surging diesel prices,” Chairman Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed said. Demand for these items remained subdued while higher imports of pulses had either stabilised or lowered wholesale prices, he added.

Figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) show that overall imports of pulses swelled to 624,055 tonnes costing $491 million in July-Jan 2016-17 from 563,815 tonnes worth $350m in same period last fiscal.

Wholesale sugar price came down to Rs55 per kg now from Rs58-60 per kg last month while in January 2017 it was priced Rs62 per kg.

He said masoor daal wholesale prices had dropped to Rs70 from Rs80 per kg last month, while few months back it was available at Rs120 per kg. Moong daal wholesale prices had been intact at Rs90-100 per kg for the last few months.

Wholesale price of gram pulses is now at Rs95 per kg which was over Rs150 per kg in Dec 2016. Mash daal wholesale price is now tagged at Rs125 as compared to Rs155 in Dec 2016 while in middle of 2016 it was in the range of Rs200-225 per kg.

Arhar daal wholesale price is Rs130 per kg.

He said sugar exports, which could not pick up despite allowing of 225,000 tonnes owing to surplus stocks in the country, has shown some improvement in Feb 2017.

According to PBS data, there was nil export of sugar in July-Jan 2016-17 as compared to 48,704 tonnes worth $21m in the same period last fiscal.

However, imports of sugar fell to 7,465 tonnes ($3m) in July-January 2016-17 as compared to 8,494 tonnes ($4.4m) in corresponding period 2015-16.

Sugar production in Pakistan during July-Dec 2016-17 stood at 1.409m tonnes as compared to 924,731 tonnes in same period 2015-16. Sugar cane crushing season got under way from Oct-Nov 2016.

A commodity wholesaler said the price of flour varieties also remained unchanged. He was of the view that consumers mainly focused towards vegetables during the winter season which brought down sales and demand of pulses.

In Jan 2017, diesel price was Rs75.22 per litre. Currently it is priced at Rs82 per litre, showing an increase of Rs7 per litre.

In the last week of January, CNG price rose to Rs73 per kg from Rs71 per kg. CNG stakeholders had taken full advantage of pushing up gas price after its deregulation. Consumers had already witnessed price increase to Rs71 per kg from Rs67.50 per kg all over Sindh in last week of Dec 2016 under deregulation of CNG price.

Diesel is mostly used by big transporters for heavy vehicles for up country transportation while CNG is mostly being used by small- and medium-sized commercial vans running from Jodia Bazaar to various markets of the city. LPG prices have not shown any significant jump in the last few months.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2017