KARACHI: After paying higher prices for sacrificial animals to fulfil a religious obligation, consumers now face another challenge in finding extra cash to buy high-demand vegetables and flour ahead of Eidul Azha.
Retailers have increased the price of onions by Rs20 per kg as demand usually rises for its extensive use in preparing Eid-related meat dishes.
Consumers are paying Rs100 per kg for good-quality onions, compared with Rs80 per kg a few days ago. A good-quality tomato is now priced at Rs180-200 per kg, compared with Rs70-100 in the middle of this month and Rs50-80 per kg earlier this month.
Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, New Subzi Mandi, President Haji Shahjahan said the Sindh onion crop is nearing its end, while demand is being met by crops from Punjab and Balochistan.
Wholesale prices lag retail hikes; traders blame low arrivals and transport priority for sacrificial animals
He said retailers are fully cashing in on the high demand for onions, as the wholesale rate is no more than Rs50 per kg.
In tomatoes and onions, slow arrival from the producing areas of Sindh and Balochistan is another reason for the price hike, as transporters were more inclined to transport sacrificial animals from up country.
Prices of ginger and garlic have risen by Rs50 per 250 grams, to Rs200 per 250 grams.
Consumers may see a price hike in vegetables in the next one or two days due to the closure of Super Highway Sabzi Mandi for the Eid holidays.
Vegetable exports fall
Exports of onion and potato, which account for a large share of total vegetable exports, have plunged sharply, having a significant negative impact on overall vegetable exports. According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), overall vegetable exports during 10MFY26 stood at 504,235 tonnes ($141 million), down 60pc in quantity and 56pc in value year on year.
All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed said the closure of the Afghan border has adversely affected exports of onion and potato to CIS countries.
Arrangements have been made to send vegetable shipments via Iran to CIS countries, but this has increased shipment times to 15-20 days, up from one week previously.
The rest of the damage to exports, he said, was caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, severely affecting exports to the Middle East and other countries. The war has led to an increase in sea freight rates by shipping companies to $8,000 per 40 ft container, up from $1,500 prior to the war.
Flour
Consumers are also paying higher prices for various flour varieties despite the arrival of new crops in March/April.
The wheat rate is now Rs107 per kg, compared with Rs99 per kg in the first week of March. The rate for a 20 kg wheat flour bag and one kg of fine flour is Rs2,500-2,700 and Rs141.57, compared with Rs2,200-2,500 and Rs136.89 prevailing in the first week of March.
A flour miller said flour prices are rising due to higher wheat prices in the open market.
He said growers have become more aware of how to make money, as they are releasing limited wheat stocks this year, whereas they sold the grain much earlier last year and fetched low prices. The middleman is also active in the wheat trade.
The miller said that wheat and flour supplies to Afghanistan had already been suspended for the past few years, as Afghanistan had started procuring these items from Kazakhstan.
Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026
