In yet another sign of Pakistan’s worsening inflation, tomatoes — a kitchen essential — have now become more expensive than chicken in Karachi’s retail markets.
According to market sources, the price of tomatoes has exceeded PKR 500 per kilogram, while chicken meat sells for around PKR 450 per kilogram. In several neighbourhoods, tomatoes are being sold between PKR 450 and 550 per kg, forcing many residents to rethink their daily meals.
🍅 Supply Chain Disruptions and Import Reliance
Traders say the surge in prices is mainly due to the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and limited supply from Punjab, leading to an acute shortage in wholesale markets.
Currently, nearly 90 percent of Karachi’s tomato demand is being met through imports from Iran — a supply line that has also slowed down.
A wholesaler explained:
“Iranian shipments are arriving late, and the shortfall in supply has pushed prices up every single day.”
⚖️ Price Control Failures
The city administration has fixed the official tomato price at PKR 280 per kilogram, but retailers across Karachi — from local stalls to subsidized ‘bachat bazaars’ — continue to sell at much higher rates.
Vendors argue that they cannot sell at government prices while buying at inflated wholesale rates, calling on officials to regulate markets at the source rather than punishing sellers.
💬 Public Reaction
Residents have reacted with frustration, saying basic food items are now luxuries.
One shopper quipped:
“We used to say onions make us cry — now it’s tomatoes that bleed our wallets.”
Economists warn that if cross-border trade with Afghanistan remains disrupted, vegetable and fruit prices will continue to rise, fueling inflationary pressure on urban consumers already struggling with record-high living costs.
