In a press statement, PPP Multan District President Khalid Hanif Lodhi, City President Khurshid Ahmed, Ex-Member Punjab Bar Council Habib Ullah Shakir, Khawaja Rizwan Alam, and Tariq Raza Khan said average prices of major food basket commodities showed double-digit change over the previous financial year. Apart from the food basket, other important jump was witnessed in the prices of petroleum products.
They said in the food basket, average quality wheat and flour respectively registered an increase of 14 and 13.4 per cent during the financial year 2004-05 over the previous year 2003-04.
Basmati rice broken, which along with flour is the staple food of low income families below the poverty line registered an increase of six per cent in Financial Year 05 over FY04. In the pulses' category, "Masoor" jumped by 21.8 per cent, and Moong prices increased by 13.2 per cent. The Mash pulse registered an increase of 8.3 per cent and that of gram 21 per cent approximately, they added.
They further said poultry and meat sector also demonstrated similar trends. In case of goat meat, 20 per cent increase was registered and for beef the increase was 25 per cent. The rise in the prices of meat products was largely influenced by the municipality taxes levied on the entry of animals into the city limits by the district governments.
The poultry sector experienced all time low during the bird flu period in 2004 - also registered an increase in average price to the tune of 15.5 per cent. In case of eggs, average increase in price was even more than 24.7 per cent. In the dairy products, similar trends were witnessed. Fresh milk price was up by 11 per cent and that of curd by 10.4 per cent.
Among all the commodities and in particular the vegetables, potato simply stood apart by registering a phenomenal 74 per cent increase in average prices over the year. Its average price was calculated for Rs 8.50 at the end of FY04. It ended up with Rs 14.94 at the end of FY05. It was followed closely by garlic that registered 34 per cent increase, tomato an increase of 31 per cent and onion 25 per cent.
Here it is pertinent to note that in the start of May 2005, the government allowed duty free import of the above mentioned items besides the meat group in a bid to stabilise the prices. However, the figures showed there was no significant respite in the price before the FY05 closed on 30th June 2005.
Another essential item, sugar also demonstrated similar trends during the period under review. After three years of price stability, registering negative percentage it shot up in FY05 by 23.4 per cent. Apart from the food basket, petrol also increased by 20.2 per cent during this period.