ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The prices of ghee and cooking oil have registered a steep hike in Pakistan, placing an added burden on already hard-pressed households.
According to market statistics, the cost of high-quality ghee and cooking oil has increased by Rs. 10, now standing at Rs. 582 per liter or per kilogram. The second-grade variety is being sold at about Rs. 540 per litre or per kilogram.
The consumers indicate the latest increase has rendered it increasingly difficult to balance household budgets despite ongoing inflation.
Meanwhile, sugar prices too have increased by Rs. 2, taking the retail price to Rs. 179 per kilogram.
Analysts link the hike to increasing global commodity prices and supply chain failures, predicting additional volatility in the event of high import costs.
At the same time, tomatoes are increasingly expensive, currently trading between Rs. 500 and Rs. 700 per kilogram against the official price of Rs. 368.
The traders attribute the rise to shortages of supplies and bottlenecks in transportation, especially following disruptions on major routes. The maximum rates have been quoted from the Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Burns Road localities of Karachi.
Purchasers in major cities are complaining that the endless increase in basic food prices has made living tougher and tougher.
