KARACHI, Sept 14: A fresh wave of price hike is round the corner with an average nine per cent rise in bakery items from September 15 and seven to 10 per cent increase in tea prices.

All the 18 manufacturers of (bread, rusk, buns and burger buns) have raised the prices from Saturday after last price hike in August 2011. A manufacturer said plain big bread will cost Rs63 as compared to Rs58, while medium-sized bread will carry price of Rs35 as compared to Rs32.

He linked the price hike to increase in maida (super fine flour) rate to Rs39.8 per kg from Rs32 per kg in the last one and a half months coupled with 10 per cent hike in gas cess, 20-25 per cent rise in packaging and wage cost in the last nine months.

Tea: Some leading packers of tea will pass on the impact of rising world tea prices due to drought in all major tea producing countries coupled with rupee depreciation against the rupee since June this year.

Vice Chairman Pakistan Tea Association (PTA), Ahmed Khawaja said that local tea prices will rise by at least seven to 10 per cent in coming weeks. He said that loose tea price has already gone up by same percentage in the wholesale market.

He said good quality Kenyan tea price has climbed to over four dollars per kg from $3.50 per kg since June while imports became costlier owing to losing value of the rupee against greenback in the same period.

Blenders and loose tea sellers had reduced the tea prices by Rs50-60 per kg in June following cut in general sales tax to five from 16 per cent in the Budget 2012-2013.

Greens: A random market survey reveals that except for few items, majority of the green vegetables have become costlier by Rs20-40 per kg since rains have lashed the city coupled with floods in various producing areas of the country from September 6, 2012, causing over 50 per cent drop in supplies of greens from the producing areas in Karachi.

Tinda, Turai and Lokki are now the most expensive items these days selling at Rs100, Rs80 and Rs60 per kg respectively as compared Rs30-40 per kg ahead of rains.

The wholesale rate of Tinda and Turrai is now quoted at Rs70 and Rs80 per kg as compared to Rs40 per kg on September 4. However, wholesale rate of Lokki declined to Rs30 from Rs40 per kg but retailers are making huge profits.

There is a slight increase in wholesale rate of onion to Rs28 from Rs26 per kg but retailers are demanding Rs40 per kg, while ahead of rains it was available at Rs30-35 per kg.

Tomato’s retail rate has jumped to Rs50 per kg from Rs40 per kg despite no change in its wholesale rate at Rs40 per kg since rains.

The wholesale rate of cucumber (Kheera) rose to Rs50 from 40 per kg while retailers are demanding Rs60 per kg, while it was selling at Rs40 per kg ahead of rains.Carrot’s retail rate is tagged at Rs60 per kg while its wholesale rate has increased to Rs50 from Rs40 per kg.

Spinach is now selling at Rs30 as compared to Rs20 per kg ahead of rains as its wholesale rate has just crawled up to Rs12 from Rs10 per kg.