Tomato prices in Pakistan soar to Rs 600 per kg amid tensions with Afghanistan
PTC Web Desk: Tomato prices in Pakistan have skyrocketed to Rs 600 per kg (in Pakistani rupees), a massive surge from the earlier price range of Rs 50–Rs 100 per kg. This sharp rise of nearly 400% has been triggered mainly by ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Since October 11, cross-border trade through key routes such as Torkham and Chaman has been suspended due to escalating tensions. As a result, the supply chain of essential goods, including tomatoes, has been severely disrupted. Reports suggest that around 5,000 containers remain stranded on both sides of the border, leading to acute shortages in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
Besides, heavy rain and flooding have also destroyed crops in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Sindh provinces. Adverse weather conditions have also delayed the ripening of tomatoes. In Lahore’s Badami Bagh market, the daily supply has dropped to 15–20 truckloads from the usual 30.
Tomato production in Balochistan has declined as the season ends, and imports from Iran have also decreased. This has widened the demand-supply gap across the country.
In several areas, wholesalers and retailers have allegedly taken advantage of weak market monitoring, inflating prices further. In some retail markets, prices are reportedly double the wholesale rates.
It is learnt that supplies from Afghanistan have completely stopped. They are now getting tomatoes from Iran, Sindh, and Quetta, but the quantity is very limited.
This is not the first time Pakistan has faced a severe food price crisis. In July 2023, wheat flour prices had surged to Rs 320 per kg in Karachi, with a 20-kg bag selling for as high as Rs 3,200, the highest in the country’s 58-year history. It was dubbed “the world’s most expensive flour.”
Similarly, retail sugar prices had also touched a record high of Rs 160 per kg in several parts of Pakistan.
- With inputs from agencies
