Tomato prices in Pakistan surged past Rs500 per kilogram, exceeding the price of chicken meat, which ranges from Rs450 to Rs500 per kilogram.
In Karachi, tomato prices vary from Rs450 to Rs550 per kilogram, while in Badin, Jamshoro, Mirpur Khas, and Turbat, the prices are approximately Rs450 per kilogram. Other vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, green chillies, ladyfingers, taro roots, ginger, and garlic, have also experienced significant price increases.
According to vegetable traders, the shortage of local supply and delays in the Sindh harvest reaching markets have caused the spike. They revealed that nearly 90% of Karachi’s tomato demand is currently being met through imports from Iran, while the suspension of imports from Afghanistan has further intensified the price pressure..
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) shows that inflation rose sharply in September 2025, recording a 5.6% year-on-year increase, compared to 3.0% in August.
Read: Pakistan’s SPI Inflation Rises 5.07% as Food Prices Soar
Month-on-month inflation increased by 2.6%, reversing the previous month’s 0.6% decline. The Ministry of Finance had earlier projected an inflation rise of 3.5% to 4.5%, but actual figures have exceeded expectations.
In urban areas, inflation rose by 5.5%, while rural regions recorded an even higher 5.8% increase in September 2025.
The report also showed that food prices climbed by 4.4%, while non-food items rose by 6%, reflecting broader cost-of-living challenges for citizens. On average, prices increased by 4.22% during the first quarter of the fiscal year (July–September).
