The prices of 33 commodities/services increased in March 2012 as compared to the preceding month while those of 13 fell and six remained unchanged. Commodities including pulses, fruit, rice and cooking oils etc. registered an average increase of 5% but prices of poultry products, some vegetables, kitchen fuels, spices and condiments were down 6%.

FAFEN’s Retail Price Monitors collected prices of 52 commodities/services from 193 retail outlets in 107 districts across Pakistan. During the monitored period, prices of all the observed pulses went up, gram pulse registering the highest increase of 30%, followed by gram black (28%), washed moong and red beans (5% each), washed masoor (3%), chickpeas (2%), white beans (1%) and washed mash (1%).

Among fruit, price of kinnow was up 18%, bananas (12%), dark red apples (11%) and golden apples (5%). Similarly, there was an increase in prices of various rice varieties – irri-6 (6%), basmati-386 (3%) and basmati broken (3%). Of the observed sweeteners, the price of sugar rose 9% and that of desi shaker by 1%.

However, gur registered a 1% decline. Similarly among condiments, there was a 12% hike in price of garlic but turmeric and ginger fell 4% each. Meat items including beef and mutton each registered a 1% increase in price while on the other hand those of all the observed poultry products decreased – chicken broiler live (7%), eggs (6%) and chicken broiler meat (5%).

The price of kerosene oil was up 2% but that of LPG went down by 3%. There was a 1% increase each in prices of branded cooking oil and vegetable ghee. On the vegetables side, the crop calendar influenced the prices – tomatoes falling 41% and onions 10%. However, a 1% increase was recorded in price of potatoes. Hike in prices of cooking oils and ghee, pulses, meat and some vegetables prompted an increase in prices of plates of cooked vegetables (2%), dal (2%) and beef (1%).

Similarly, wheat flour was also up 1%. Among medical services, the cost of blood sugar and urine tests (complete picture) each went up by 1% while that of blood test (complete picture) fell by 1%. The price of Panadol (10 tablets) went down 2% and that of Disprin (10 tablets) by 1%.