Spiraling inflation hits K-P as food prices soar

PESHAWAR:

Inflation has tightened its grip across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with the prices of essential food items skyrocketing to unprecedented levels. Sugar, flour, tomatoes, semolina, and fruits, particularly grapes, have become increasingly unaffordable for the common citizen, further burdening households already struggling with rising living costs.

In local markets, the price of tomatoes has surged beyond that of chicken, now retailing at Rs450 per kilogram, compared to Rs320 per kg for chicken. Shopkeepers attribute this steep rise to the closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which has halted tomato supplies from Afghanistan. Currently, markets are relying on imports from Iran, further pushing prices upward. Although the official government rate for tomatoes ranges between Rs350 and Rs380 per kilo, most vendors continue to sell at self-determined prices.

Similarly, the price of sugar has jumped by Rs25 per kilogram in just two days, reaching Rs200 per kg in retail markets and Rs184 to Rs200 per kg in wholesale without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned. In certain city areas, sugar is reportedly being sold for Rs205 per kilo, with the price of a sugar sack increasing by Rs250.

The flour market has also experienced extreme volatility. The price of a 20-kg bag of flour has climbed to Rs2,700, while an 80-kg sack now sells between Rs12,500 and Rs13,000. Officials note that limited flour supplies from Punjab initially triggered the hike, though partial resumption has brought slight relief, reducing fine flour prices by Rs100 per bag and mixed flour by Rs200.

Meanwhile, grapes have become scarce, with rates rising to Rs600 per kg, compared to official prices of Rs410 for Kandhari and Rs500 for Sundarkhani varieties. Fruit traders say the closure of the Afghan border has disrupted the import of seasonal fruits such as apples, grapes, and persimmons, driving prices to record highs.

Semolina (sooji) and refined flour (maida) have also seen sharp increases, now retailing at Rs200 per kilo, underscoring the province's deepening cost-of-living crisis.