By Azeem Ahmed Khan

Wholesale prices of several essential food commodities rose sharply in July 2026, with vegetables, potatoes, poultry, eggs, wheat and processed food products recording significant increases, according to figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and available with Wealth Pakistan.

Vegetables registered the steepest month-on-month increase of 40.32%, followed by edible roots and potatoes, whose prices rose by 36.25%.

Wholesale poultry prices increased by 23.39%, while egg prices rose by 19.09% from June. Wheat prices rose by 7.84%, while stimulant and spice crops recorded an increase of 4.38%.

The broader category of food products, beverages and tobacco posted a monthly increase of 0.75% and remained 9.40% higher than in July 2025.

Among processed food products, sugar confectionery recorded the largest monthly increase of 9.50%, followed by chocolate at 7.33% and wheat flour at 6.33%.

The annual figures showed even stronger increases in some staple commodities. Wholesale wheat prices surged by 81.41% compared with July 2025, while wheat flour became 69.24% more expensive.

Sorghum, commonly known as jowar, recorded a year-on-year increase of 71.54%, while maize prices rose by 17.43%. Vegetables were 16.49% more expensive than a year earlier.

Sugar confectionery prices increased by 10.33% year-on-year, while chocolate recorded an annual rise of 8.23%.

The figures indicate that staple grains, fresh produce, poultry products and processed foods remained the main sources of pressure on wholesale food prices during July.

Credit: INP-WealthPk