With the beginning of Ramadan, prices of food items have also started skyrocketing without any check from the authorities concerned.
It turned out that food prices have been rising gradually during the holy month during a visit to markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) capital city to check and compare edible expenses with those set by the district’s government.
According to a supplier, the price of live chicken has risen to Rs350 per kg and rice has increased by Rs70 per kg to Rs335 per kg.
Additionally, he stated that the price of split chickpeas (chana dal) jumped from Rs220 to Rs260 per kg while the price of beans reached Rs60 per kg, from Rs281 to Rs339 per kg.
An APP visit showed that the price of a kilogram of spices jumped from Rs150 to Rs200 per kg.
He reported that other vegetables and fruits are now out of reach for consumers and that the cost of oil and ghee has increased by Rs62 per kg in the city, while the price of spices has reached Rs600 per kg. Ginseng costs Rs620 per kilogram, whereas garlic is available for Rs360 per kg. Peas, on the other hand, are priced per kg at Rs. 200, Arvi at Rs. 180, Zucchini at Rs. 170, Green Capsicum at Rs. 150, and Tomato at Rs. 120.
The price of fruits has also increased. Priced at Rs440 a dozen, sweet oranges, Rs400 for an orange, Rs300 for a banana, Rs400 for a pomegranate, Rs340 for an Iranian apple, Rs350 for a Kohati guava, and Rs280 for a strawberry.
The meat market was also affected by the sharp price increase; beef, which was previously offered for Rs700 per kg but is now priced at Rs800 to Rs1,000 per kg, and mutton, whose rates were raised from Rs1,400 to Rs1,600 per kg to reach Rs1,800 per kg.
“The rates issued by the district administration do not suit us,” a butcher in the local market said.
He said that most examiners were unable to visit the market to check rates after the recent rain because of thick mud-stranded water; as a result, the shops started charging rates of their choice. He was asked about the enforcement of fines and raids by district government officials.
