28 Commodities Register 2% Price Increase While 13 Commodities Register 4% Price Decrease

The price of 28 commodities including meat, sweeteners, kitchen fuels and milk registered an average increase of 2% while the average price of 13 commodities including some condiments and pulses, over-the-counter available medicines and poultry products decreased by 4% in the mid of Ramazan (18th August 2011) as compared to the prices of these commodities in the almost the beginning of this holy month (6th August 2011).

Despite an increase in the prices of a higher number of the observed commodities, the overall impact of the price increase turned out to be lower than the price decrease indicating a slight increase in the prices of 28 commodities while a comparatively sizeable decrease in the other 13 commodities in comparison.

The commodities that registered a price increase include banana (7%), plain chapatti (5%), black gram (4%), sugar (45), Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) (2%), mutton (1%) and yoghurt (1%) while commodities that registered a decrease in their prices include tomato (14%), apple golden (10%), Disprin (5%), chicken live (3%), garlic (2%) and potato (2%).

FAFEN usually collects the prices of the observed consumer commodities on the 10th of every motnh. However, this month in order to assess the impact of the month of Ramazan on the prices of these commodities. The prices were collected from the designated retail outlets in about the beginning (6th August 2011 or 5th of Ramazan 2011) and in the mid of Ramazan (18th August 2011 or 17th of Ramazan 2011).

It was observed that despite the fact that more commodities register a price increase than a decrease, the average price decrease of the commodities was higher than the average price increase in the beginning as well as the mid of Ramazan. In Ramazan, because of the increased demand of fruits the price of banana and apple dark red registered an increase of 7% and 3%, respectively, while the price of apple golden decreased by 10%, most likely because of the seasonal effect that led to the supply of apple in the market. Seasonal effect was also observed in the price of tomato that further went down by 14%.

The decrease in the price of tomato is attributable to its harvest in different parts of Pakistan. The harvest of the summer crop of potato led to a further 2% decrease in its price. The price of onion also went up by 1% during the observed time period.

Among rice varieties, rice basmati broken and rice basmati-386, each registered a 3% increase in its price while the price of rice irri-6 went down by 1%. The price of plain chapatti and one of its inputs, wheat grain, went up by 5% and 2%, respectively.

However, a decrease was observed in the price of wheat flour, the price of which went down by 2%. In meat, mutton and beef each registered an increase of 1% in its respective price. However, in poultry, the price of chicken broiler live and chicken broiler meat decreased by 3% and 2%, respectively. Pulses including black gram, gram pulse, chickpeas and masoor pulse registered an increase of 4%, 2%, 1% and 1% in their respective prices and only white beans registered a 2% price decrease.

The price of spices that include salt powder and red chilies went up by 2% and 1%, respectively. In condiments, garlic and turmeric experienced a decrease of 2% and 1% in their respective prices. Among kitchen fuels, the price of LPG increased by 2% while kerosene oil registered a 1% increase in its price. The price of vegetable ghee registered an increase of 1% while the price of mustard oil decreased by 1% during the observed time period


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