Guwahati: Traders in the city are expressing concerns that the prices of essential commodities, including rice grains and pulses, may rise soon following an increase in petrol and diesel prices twice in one week.
Recent Fuel Price Increases
Petrol and diesel prices increased first on May 15 and again on Tuesday. On May 15, petrol price crossed the Rs 100 mark, reaching Rs 101.21 per litre after a Rs 3 increase. Diesel prices rose to Rs 92.5 per litre, up by Rs 3.08 on May 15 in Kamrup (Metro) district. After the subsequent hikes, petrol now costs Rs 102.11 per litre following an increase of 90 paise on Tuesday, while diesel price stands at Rs 93.44 per litre after a 94 paise increase.
Trader Insights on Commodity Prices
Rakesh Yadav, owner of Rakesh Store and a wholesale trader at the city’s Bamunimaidam, stated that prices of essential commodities, including rice, pulses, sugar, mustard oil, and refined oil, remain unchanged for now. “As of now, there is no increase in the price of these products. However, the traders fear a surge in the prices of the essential commodities very soon. There is every possibility of price hike as petrol and diesel prices have gone up twice in a week,” he said.
Egg Prices Already on the Rise
Egg prices have already surged, with an increase of Rs 50 per carton, taking the price to Rs 1,300 now from Rs 1,250 a week ago. A carton contains seven trays, each with 30 eggs, making the price per tray Rs 185. Dhanjit Talukdar, a retailer at Chandmari, said a tray of eggs is being sold at Rs 240 in the retail market. “A tray was sold at Rs 180-190 about one-two weeks ago. We procure from wholesalers and we have got to know from them that the hike in fuel prices is the reason behind the price hike in eggs,” he explained.
Supply and Demand Dynamics
Eggs are mostly procured from Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, and Punjab to meet local demand. Assam requires 1.53 crore eggs daily but produces only 17 lakh per day at its own farms. Talukdar warned of a potential increase in the price of essential commodities soon due to the recent fuel price hikes.
