22/06/2011 (The News International) - The middlemen continued to stoke the price-hike of food items in the wholesale and retail markets ahead of Ramazan, traders said on Tuesday.

The demand for particular items including cooking oil, gram, and pulses surge in Ramazan owing to culinary preferences of the faithful for opening the fast in the holly month, they said.

The ensured increase in demand leads to pre-Ramazan hoarding of these itmes, resulting in price hike, they said.

The price of cooking oil rose by Rs45 per 16 kilogram tin to Rs2,425; the price of wheat increased by Rs60 per 100 kilogram bag to Rs2,560; the price of kabli chana surged by Rs5 per kilogram to Rs125; the price of daal mong increased by Rs3 per kilogram to Rs135; and the price of daal mash rose by Rs3 per kilogram to Rs116, they added.

An owner of a general store expressed his surprise over the increase in cooking oil’s price, saying that the price of the oil should have been decreased in the county in line with the declining trends in palm oil in Malaysia. Pakistan imports the oil from Malaysia.

Similarly, the country has reported to produce wheat in surplus. But on the contrary, the price of the wheat and flour was going up on every passing day.

As per new price, the fine flour is being sold at Rs29 per kilogram or Rs1,660 per 50 kilogram bag. And flour (No. 2.5) is available at Rs33.20 per kilogram or Rs1,450 per 50 kilogram bag.

The 50 kilogram bag of fine flour and flour (No. 2.5) registered increases of Rs35 and Rs40, respectively, he added.