Fruit prices register hike in May

ISLAMABAD, June 6: The price of monitored fruit registered a hike in May as compared to April 2012 with kinnow registering the highest increase of 30% followed by bananas (28%), dark red apples (25%) and golden apples (11%), says a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report.

The report released Wednesday said FAFEN retail price monitors collected the prices of 52 commodities and services from 185 retail outlets in 103 districts across Pakistan.

Other commodities that registered a rise in prices included some pulses, eggs, cooked items, sweeteners, dairy items and branded cooking oil/ghee.

According to the report, the average increase in the prices of 28 commodities came out to be 6%. However, an average decrease of 9% was observed in the prices of 18 commodities which included poultry products, vegetables, wheat, kitchen fuels, sugar, some pulses and condiments. On the other hand six commodities registered no change.

Among pulses, gram pulse registered the highest increase of 9% in price, followed by black gram (8%), white beans (2%) and red beans (1%) while the prices of washed mash and moong fell by 2% each and that of masoor by 1%.

The prices of rice – basmati-386 and basmati broken – each shot up by 4% while rice irri-6 was down 1%.  Prices of wheat grain and flour also registered a decline of 2% and 1%.

There was also an increase in prices of cooking oils and ghee. Branded vegetable ghee and cooking oil were up 3% but mustard oil fell by 1%. Fresh milk and yoghurt also rose by 3% each.

Among cooked items, the price of a plate of beef went up by 3%, a cup of tea (2%), and a plate of dal and plain chapatti (1% each).

There was also a hike in prices of sugarcane products – desi shaker and gur – up 2% each.  However, sugar registered a decline of 2%.

On the poultry products’ side, the price of eggs increased 8% but that of chicken broiler (live) and chicken broiler (meat) fell 18% and 16%.

The price of tomatoes saw a massive drop of 63% and that of onions 10%. Harvesting of these crops in different regions of the country is said to be the reason for decrease in their prices. Also going down were the prices of condiments – garlic dropping 14%, turmeric 5% and ginger 2%.

Of the observed prices of kitchen fuels, those of LPG decreased 16% and firewood by 2%. However, kerosene oil was up 2%.

There was a 3% increase in price of Disprin (10-tablets) but that of Panadol (10-tablets) fell by 6%. Among medical services, the cost of urine test increased the most (5%), followed by blood test (complete picture) 2% and blood sugar test (1%).