Karachi: Consumers, after incurring higher costs for sacrificial animals for the religious observance, now face additional financial pressure to purchase in-demand vegetables and flour before Eid al-Adha.
Retailers have raised onion prices by Rs20 per kilogram as demand surges for its frequent use in Eid-related meat preparations.
Consumers are now paying Rs100 per kilogram for good-quality onions, up from Rs80 a few days ago. Good-quality tomatoes are priced between Rs180 and Rs200 per kilogram, compared with Rs70–100 earlier in the month and Rs50–80 at the start of the month.
Haji Shahjahan, president of the Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market at New Subzi Mandi, noted that the Sindh onion harvest is nearing its conclusion, with supply being supplemented by crops from Punjab and Balochistan.
Wholesale prices lag retail hikes; traders blame low arrivals and transport priority for sacrificial animals
He added that retailers are fully capitalizing on the high demand for onions, with wholesale rates not exceeding Rs50 per kilogram.
Reduced arrivals of tomatoes and onions from Sindh and Balochistan, coupled with transporters prioritizing sacrificial animal shipments from rural areas, have contributed to the price increase.
Prices for ginger and garlic have increased by Rs50 per 250 grams, now reaching Rs200 per 250 grams.
Consumers may experience further vegetable price increases over the next one to two days as the Super Highway Sabzi Mandi is closed for Eid holidays.
Vegetable exports fall
Exports of onions and potatoes, which represent a substantial share of total vegetable exports, have fallen sharply, significantly affecting overall vegetable export volumes. Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) show that vegetable exports in the first ten months of fiscal year 2026 amounted to 504,235 tonnes, valued at $141 million, reflecting declines of 60 % in volume and 56 % in value compared with the previous year.
Waheed Ahmed, patron-in-chief of the All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association, stated that the closure of the Afghan border has negatively impacted onion and potato exports to CIS countries.
Shipments are now being routed through Iran to CIS countries, extending delivery times to 15–20 days, up from a week earlier.
He added that the remainder of the export decline stemmed from the US‑Israel conflict involving Iran, which has severely hampered shipments to the Middle East and other regions. The war has driven sea freight rates up to $8,000 per 40‑foot container, compared with $1,500 before the conflict.
Flour
Consumers are also facing higher prices for various flour types, even though new wheat crops arrived in March and April.
The current wheat price stands at Rs107 per kilogram, up from Rs99 per kilogram in the first week of March. A 20‑kilogram bag of wheat flour and one kilogram of fine flour now cost Rs2,500–2,700 and Rs141.57 respectively, compared with Rs2,200–2,500 and Rs136.89 during the first week of March.
A flour miller attributed the price increase to higher open‑market wheat prices.
He explained that growers are now more strategic in monetizing their wheat, releasing limited stocks this year, whereas they sold the grain earlier last year at lower prices. Additionally, middlemen are actively involved in the wheat trade.
The miller noted that wheat and flour supplies to Afghanistan have been suspended for several years, as Afghanistan now sources these commodities from Kazakhstan.
