Sugar, cooking oil and gold prices decline in Kabul markets

KABUL: Prices of sugar, cooking oil and gold decreased in Kabul markets over the past week, while Pakistani rice prices rose, market sources said.

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said the price of a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice increased from 3,600 afs to 4,500 afs. However, a 49-kg bag of Indian sugar fell from 2,440 afs to 2,400 afs, and a 16-litre bottle of Malaysian cooking oil dropped from 2,000 afs to 1,950 afs.

Safi added that the wholesale price of a 49-kg sack of Kazakh flour remained stable at 1,450 afs, one kilogram of African black tea sold for 380 afs, and the same quantity of Indonesian green tea for 350 afs. He noted that retail prices sometimes differ slightly from wholesale prices, and in other cases the difference is more significant.

Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at Dahna-i-Bagh market, reported retail prices as follows: 49-kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,500 afs, 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice at 3,650 afs, 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,490 afs, 16-litre bottle of cooking oil at 2,050 afs, one kilogram of black tea at 430 afs, and green tea at 400 afs.

In gold markets, Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in the Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold decreased from 8,750 afs to 8,050 afs, while Russian gold fell from 6,950 afs to 6,400 afs. Gold sellers linked local fluctuations to international market changes.

Fuel prices showed stability, with a worker at the Ahmadyar pump station reporting one litre of petrol at 59 afs and diesel at 60 afs. Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area, said one kilogram of liquefied gas sold for 54 afs.

In currency exchange, Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of the Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar traded for 64.70 afs, down from 66 afs the previous week, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 220 afs, down from 225 afs.