14/02/2011 (Pakistan Observer) - Manufactures have increased prices of cooking oil/ghee by Rs 10 per kg during the outgoing week, revealed a survey. Traders told that manufacturers of ghee and cooking oil had warned of further surge in prices of the commodities by Rs 5 to Rs 10 per kg in next few days.

The survey revealed that prices of most of the essential kitchen items have registered a drastic increase the week ended on February 12, as compared to the last week. Traders of Rawalpindi/Islamabad wholesale markets are of the view that suppliers of most of the kitchen items kept on raising the prices of cooking-oil, ghee, rice, pulses and other kitchen essentials. Similarly, rice prices also increased, as different varieties of the commodity like Irri, Basmati and Broken Basmati were available at Rs 60 per kg, Rs 110 per kg and Rs 75 per kg against their previous week prices of Rs 55 per kg, Rs 90 per kg and Rs 65 per kg respectively.

Moreover, fruit prices also witnessed upward trend in the last week. During the week under review apples were available at Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kg depending on the quality of the fruit against its previous price of Rs 80 to Rs 90 per kg. Banana was sold at Rs 80 against Rs 60 in the previous week. Guava prices remained unchanged at Rs 60 per kg during the week.

Traders alleged that suppliers of cooking-oil/ghee were regularly increasing the price of the commodity: good quality cooking oil like Dalda, Sufi and Habib was available at Rs 180 per kg last Saturday, and is now being sold at Rs 185 per kg. Suppliers of cooking oil have increased the price of normal quality ghee by Rs 10 per kg.

Traders revealed that ghee and cooking oil prices would be further increased by Rs 5-10 per kg in next week and it may touch Rs 200 per kg within next few weeks as globally palm oil prices were increasing continuously. They maintained that the rates have been raised due to increase in palm-oil prices in the global market.—Agencies