Muhammad Luqman

Unprecedented floods in Punjab’s three major rivers — Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab — have devastated crops over thousands of acres of land, commonly referred to as Pakistan’s food basket. The disaster has badly disrupted the supply of vegetables, fruits, and other essential food items across the province, particularly in Lahore, the Fcapital city.

According to traders in the city’s vegetable markets, the number of trucks arriving daily at major wholesale hubs such as Badami Bagh, Multan Road, and Singhpura has dropped by 50%. This sharp decline in supply has created a wide gap between demand and availability of key kitchen staples, including chillies, tomatoes, and onions.

In upscale localities such as Gulberg, DHA, Johar Town, PIA Housing Society, Model Town, and WAPDA Town, food prices have soared up to 75% higher than the official rates. For example, potatoes officially priced at Rs90 per kilogramme are selling for no less than Rs150, while tomatoes are retailing at Rs250 per kilogramme compared to the government-fixed price of Rs140.

“The prices of vegetables, especially high-demand items like onions and tomatoes, have increased by at least 50%. The situation may worsen if the fields and roads remain submerged in the coming weeks,” said Saddam Athar Khan, Secretary General of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran, Badami Bagh Fruit and Vegetable Market.

He added that Lahore’s population of 13 million depends heavily on supplies from adjoining districts as well as distant areas in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. “We are not receiving ample supplies of onions, lemons, and even ordinary vegetables like gourds from outside Lahore because large areas remain inundated,” he explained while talking to Wealth Pakistan.

The supply of apples, bananas, and other seasonal fruits from other provinces has also been hit, resulting in further price hikes. Athar warned that Pakistan may eventually be forced to import vegetables, fruits, and even cereals from abroad to meet domestic demand. The poultry sector is facing similar challenges. The market price of chicken meat has surged to over Rs750 per kg against the official rate of Rs595.

“How can we sell meat at official prices when live chickens are costing us much more? Poultry is no longer available at farm rates,” said Tariq Javed, President of the Lahore Poultry Dealers Association, while talking to Wealth Pakistan. He argued that the district administration should control prices at the farm level instead of targeting retailers.

In response to profiteering — which officials described as “human vultures” exploiting the crisis — the Punjab government has formed supply monitoring committees to prevent hoarding and price manipulation.

“We are closely monitoring the supply of high-demand vegetables like potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, though other commodities are not being ignored,” said Ehsan Bhutta, Secretary of Price Control, Punjab. “We will not allow profiteers to exploit people during these trying times. Severe punishments will be handed out,” he warned.

He added that raids were carried out on warehouses and godowns to ensure that relatively less perishable items such as potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger are not hoarded.

Credit: INP-WealthPk