Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Al Jawaab Wa Billahit-Tawfeeq

Respected brother,

The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the value of the commodity
to be taken into account for Zakat purposes is the selling price and not the
buying price. The price to take into account would be the wholesale selling
price if most items sell wholesale or retail pricing if most items retail.

He uses the price which is better for the poor ( i.e. the selling price).


And Allah knows best