PRICES of some essential items showed sharp increase during last week as post-Eid holiday pent up demand figured prominently as the upcountry dealers made extensive buying to cover their short position.
The arrivals of some of the commodities, notably gram whole and gram dal were normal and did not allow any major change in their prices despite reports of higher exports, dealers said.
Some of the industrial raw materials showed softening from the previous higher levels as leading commercial houses sold in part their long holding positions. Prices eased by about Rs100.00 per bag on some of the counters.
Pulses, mostly imported varieties remained centre of activity partly because of pent-up demand and partly to talk of pressure on ready supplies as fresh imports remained virtually suspended during the holiday-shortened weeks, brokers said.
Some of the brokers also attributed the price flare-up to holding back of stocks by some of the importers to push prices higher after spreading rumours of short supply.
Much of the activity remained confined to imported stuff of moong and masoor whole and masoor dal, which posted largest rise of Rs250.00 per bag, they said.
On the export front, physical shipment of rice was maintained on the higher side as a rice loader was at the port and was loading a consignment of 21,000 tons against previous signed forward deal.
The situation on sugar front was not clear amid reports of closure of mills by owners both in Sindh and Punjab zones. However, late reports said most of them had resumed their operations after official assurance to meet their demands.
But on retail market sugar prices remained on the higher side form locality to locality and was quoted above Rs30.00 per kilo. On official retail outlets it was sold well below this level, market sources said.
They said sugar prices are expected to ease from the current higher levels after mills released their officially specified stocks to the private sector traders to be sold to retailers through the whole-sellers. The market advance was again led by pulses sector as prices of all varieties rose in unison as ready supplies failed to meet the rising consumer demand.
Masoor, moong and gram dal were leading among them, which posted gains ranging from Rs200.00 to 300.00 per bag followed by masoor dal and urad, which were quoted higher by Rs100.00 to Rs125.00 per bag.
Rice sector followed them, as prices of basmati including kernel variety and IRRI broken types were quoted higher by Rs100.00 per bag partly on reports of higher exports and partly because of slow down in arrivals from Sindh markets. IRRI-9 was, however, an exception, which fell by Rs50.00 on slack export demand.
Dealers predicted fresh increase in prices of IRRI type if the upcountry dealers held back stocks for another week or so to push prices further higher.
They said leading private sector exporters are worried over the sudden increase in prices as some of them had made forward deals at much lower rates and fear interruptions in physical shipments in the weeks to come.
Among other essential items, stalemate continued on the retail price issue between the government and the mill owners and meanwhile, prices remained on the higher side above Rs30.00 per kilo, dealers said. Wheat on the other hand rose modestly despite reports that the government is expected to give export duty waiver to exporters to export half a million tons of surplus commodity.
Barring a modest rise of Rs40.00 in bajra, cereal sector did not show much price changes as maize, jowar and barley were held unchanged amid slow trading. Among the industrial items guar fell by Rs100.00 on selling by local stockists. Oilseed sector again lacked normal trading interest owing to comfortable ready position. As a result, prices of major seeds including rapeseed, cottonseed, til, castor seed were quoted unchanged.
But on the other hand oilcakes suffered fall ranging from Rs10.00 to Rs20.00 for both cottonseed and rapeseed respectively.
The arrivals of some of the commodities, notably gram whole and gram dal were normal and did not allow any major change in their prices despite reports of higher exports, dealers said.
Some of the industrial raw materials showed softening from the previous higher levels as leading commercial houses sold in part their long holding positions. Prices eased by about Rs100.00 per bag on some of the counters.
Pulses, mostly imported varieties remained centre of activity partly because of pent-up demand and partly to talk of pressure on ready supplies as fresh imports remained virtually suspended during the holiday-shortened weeks, brokers said.
Some of the brokers also attributed the price flare-up to holding back of stocks by some of the importers to push prices higher after spreading rumours of short supply.
Much of the activity remained confined to imported stuff of moong and masoor whole and masoor dal, which posted largest rise of Rs250.00 per bag, they said.
On the export front, physical shipment of rice was maintained on the higher side as a rice loader was at the port and was loading a consignment of 21,000 tons against previous signed forward deal.
The situation on sugar front was not clear amid reports of closure of mills by owners both in Sindh and Punjab zones. However, late reports said most of them had resumed their operations after official assurance to meet their demands.
But on retail market sugar prices remained on the higher side form locality to locality and was quoted above Rs30.00 per kilo. On official retail outlets it was sold well below this level, market sources said.
They said sugar prices are expected to ease from the current higher levels after mills released their officially specified stocks to the private sector traders to be sold to retailers through the whole-sellers. The market advance was again led by pulses sector as prices of all varieties rose in unison as ready supplies failed to meet the rising consumer demand.
Masoor, moong and gram dal were leading among them, which posted gains ranging from Rs200.00 to 300.00 per bag followed by masoor dal and urad, which were quoted higher by Rs100.00 to Rs125.00 per bag.
Rice sector followed them, as prices of basmati including kernel variety and IRRI broken types were quoted higher by Rs100.00 per bag partly on reports of higher exports and partly because of slow down in arrivals from Sindh markets. IRRI-9 was, however, an exception, which fell by Rs50.00 on slack export demand.
Dealers predicted fresh increase in prices of IRRI type if the upcountry dealers held back stocks for another week or so to push prices further higher.
They said leading private sector exporters are worried over the sudden increase in prices as some of them had made forward deals at much lower rates and fear interruptions in physical shipments in the weeks to come.
Among other essential items, stalemate continued on the retail price issue between the government and the mill owners and meanwhile, prices remained on the higher side above Rs30.00 per kilo, dealers said. Wheat on the other hand rose modestly despite reports that the government is expected to give export duty waiver to exporters to export half a million tons of surplus commodity.
Barring a modest rise of Rs40.00 in bajra, cereal sector did not show much price changes as maize, jowar and barley were held unchanged amid slow trading. Among the industrial items guar fell by Rs100.00 on selling by local stockists. Oilseed sector again lacked normal trading interest owing to comfortable ready position. As a result, prices of major seeds including rapeseed, cottonseed, til, castor seed were quoted unchanged.
But on the other hand oilcakes suffered fall ranging from Rs10.00 to Rs20.00 for both cottonseed and rapeseed respectively.