Indian rice prices surge, gold declines in Kabul

KABUL (Pajhwok): The prices of Indian rice surged, while gold declined in outgoing week in Kabul markets, market sources said on Saturday.

Food items

Zmarai Safi, head of the Food Traders’ Association, said that the price of 24-kilogramme of Indian rice went up from 2,600afs to 3,000afs.

According to him, reduced imports and higher demand have raised Indian rice prices in Kabul.

However, he said the prices of other essential food items remained unchanged as a 49-kg sack of Kazakh flour cost 1,450afs, 24-kg of Pakistani rice at 4,500afs, a 16-litre bottle of Malaysian cooking oil at 1,900afs, 49-kg of sack of Indian sugar at 2,400afs, one kilogramme of African black tea at 380afs and the same quantity of Indonesian green tea at 350afs.

He noted that in some cases retail prices differ slightly from wholesale prices, while in others the difference is more significant.

Hamid Sufizada, a retailer at Dahna-i-Bagh market, put the retail price of a 49-kg bag of Kazakh flour at 1,500afs, a 24-kg bag of Pakistani rice at 4,550afs, 24-kg bag of Indian rice at 3,050 and a 49-kg sack of Indian sugar at 2,450afs.

A 16-litre bottle of cooking oil accounted for 1,950afs, one kilogram of black tea for 400afs and the same quantity of green tea for 430afs, he added.

Gold prices down

Mohammad Fawad, a jeweller in Timor Shahi area, said the price of one gram of Arabian gold fell from 8,200afs to 8,170afs and the same amount of the Russian variety decreased from 6,510afs to 6,500afs.

Gold dealers say fluctuations in local gold prices are linked to changes in international markets.

A worker at the Ahmadyar pump station told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of one litre of petrol stayed stable at 57afs and one litre diesel at 57afs.

Mohammad Jan Amin, a shopkeeper in the Dahan Bagh area of Kabul, said the price of one kilogramme of liquefied gas sold for 52afs.

Currency rates

Haji Mohammad Hussain, owner of the Sadaqat Money Exchange Service, said one US dollar traded for 63.25afs, while 1,000 Pakistani rupees exchanged for 215afs.

During the previous week, one US dollar consumed 63.60afs and 1,000 Pakistani rupees 215afs.

hz/sa