KARACHI, May 13 A leading powdered milk packer has increased its one-kg pouch price by Rs30 despite the fact that the rates of the commodity on the international markets recorded sharp declines.

Nestle has increased the one-kg Everyday tea whitener to Rs350 from Rs320 and the half-kg pack to Rs160 from Rs140, while one-litre Nesvita now sells at Rs65 as against Rs60.

The one-kg Milk Pak Desi Ghee is now available at Rs300 as against Rs290.

Karachi Retail Grocers Group general secretary Farid Qureishi said that the distributor of Nestle also informed the retailers that one-kg Nido pouch price would be raised by at least 10 per cent. He said retailers would get the new price list by Thursday.

He said that on international market the powdered milk prices dropped sharply, but the companies were increasing the prices. On January 2007, Nido one-kg pack was available at Rs260 while it was selling at Rs310 on January 2008. Currently it sells at Rs340.

Similarly, the Everyday tea whitener was selling at Rs250 on January 2007 while it was at Rs285 in January 2008.

Consumers are already paying Rs44-46 per litre for fresh milk and Rs60-64 per kg for yogurt depending on the locality.

Packers of various powdered and tetra milk have been pushing up the rate owing to surging demand after hectic media campaign that loose milk is highly sub-standard and unhygienic and tetra milk is safe for health.

Among the losers, the Unilever has decreased the rate of Surf Excel half kg pack to Rs99 from Rs130 while one-kg pack price has been reduced to Rs199 from Rs220. On January 2008, the one-kg pack was available at Rs150.

Onion

Onion has become costlier by Rs5 per kg to Rs25 after imports from India had been suspended last week.

Haji Shahjehan, President Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market New Subzi Mandi, said onion arrivals from Balochistan crop had already started on modest scale insufficient to meet the demand.

He said that despite suspension of imports, a ship on Tuesday carrying 100 containers of Indian onion arrived at the port resulting in decline at the wholesale rate to Rs600-650 per 40 kg from Rs800-850 few days back.

He said retailers had their own strategy to sell the commodity as they may take sometime to cut the rates at retail side as they might had purchased onion at higher rates few days back.

“The Sindh crop will hit the market in October and currently the entire country's demand will be met from Balochistan crop,” he said, adding it is not clear whether the traders will import more onion from India or not.

Mr Shahjehan said that there were slim chances that red onion from Mingora and Swat, which usually arrives in June-July, would be available in view of massive exodus of people from these areas in the backdrop of military operation against militants.

In absence of any official figures, he claimed that over 200,000 tons of Indian onion had already arrived during February to April this year at $180-$320 per ton (C&F).

Consumers had already paid Rs35-40 per kg for onion in March when the commodity had started arriving from India.