Supply shortage from Punjab and halt in imports from Afghanistan push rates to record highs
A seller places tomatoes on his cart. The kitchen essentials were sold on trolleys for Rs 400-450 and in supermarkets for Rs 550-580 due to shortage of supply in the market. Photo: Jalal Qureshi/Express
KARACHI:
Tomatoes have become more expensive than chicken in Karachi, with retail prices climbing to between Rs 450 and Rs 550 per kilo, setting a new record in the city’s markets. In comparison, chicken meat is available at around Rs 450 per kg, making tomatoes more expensive.
According to the official price list, tomatoes should be sold at Rs 280 per kg, but neither retailers nor sellers at Sunday bazaars are adhering to government rates. Traders say wholesale prices have risen sharply, preventing them from selling at the official rate.
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Vegetable traders attribute the rise to limited supplies from Punjab due to floods and delay in arrival of Sindh’s local crops in the market. Currently, around 90 percent of Karachi’s demand is met by Iranian imports, while imports from Afghanistan remain suspended, further tightening supply and inflating prices.
Shoppers seeking relief at bachat bazaars were disappointed to find that tomatoes were selling even there well above the official price. A trader from Gulshan-e-Iqbal said, “There is no official tariff at the wholesale level. If we sell at Rs 280, we will incur losses.”
Meanwhile, the bazaar management claimed that stalls found in violation of official rates were sealed or fined, although citizens complained that no real relief was visible on the ground.
