Food inflation defies official prices

City markets ignore rates notified by govt

LAHORE:

Government-issued price notifications for essential food items continued to prove ineffective as retail markets across Lahore defied official rates, highlighting a gap in price control mechanisms.

Despite price lists regularly issued by authorities, consumers reported no meaningful relief at the retail level.

Poultry, vegetables and fruits were widely sold at prices far exceeding officially fixed rates, leaving households to absorb rising food costs at a time when budgets are already strained by high utility bills and transport expenses.

Poultry prices remained a key pressure point. Live chicken rates had been officially fixed at Rs397-411 per kilogram for the past 11 days, yet the commodity was largely unavailable at those prices.

Chicken meat followed the same trend, with the official rate set at Rs595, while consumers paid between Rs630 and Rs700 per kg in most localities. Boneless chicken sold close to Rs1,000 per kg in several neighbourhoods.

Vegetable prices showed similar distortions. Soft-skin new potatoes, unchanged on the official list at Rs22-25 per kg, were sold at Rs40-70 per kg. Tomatoes, whose official rate increased by Rs25 to Rs85-90, continued to cost Rs140-180 per kg. Onion prices were reduced by Rs5 to Rs50-55 per kilogram, but retailers charged between Rs80 and Rs100 per kg.

Garlic and ginger prices remained sharply inflated. Local garlic, officially fixed at Rs157-165 per kg after a Rs5 increase, sold at Rs250-280 per kg. Harani garlic, raised by Rs10 to Rs295-310 per kg, retailed near Rs400. while Chinese garlic, officially unchanged at Rs435-455 per kg, sold at around Rs600. Thai ginger declined by Rs15 to Rs280-290 per kg and the Chinese variety by Rs25 to Rs270-280 per kg, yet both sold between Rs400 and Rs450 per kg.

Among seasonal vegetables, farm cucumbers jumped by Rs30 on the official list to Rs85–90 per kg but were sold at Rs120-150 per kg. Brinjal, fixed at Rs71-75 per kg after a Rs15 increase, retailed up to Rs120 per kg. Bitter gourd, officially priced at Rs75-80 per kg, continued to sell at around Rs300, one of the widest gaps observed. Spinach, fixed at Rs23-25 per kg, sold at Rs40-60 per kg.

Among fruits, apples rose by Rs10 on the official list to between Rs215 and Rs400, depending on variety, yet sold at Rs300-0 per kg. Banana prices remained unchanged at Rs135-150 per dozen, but retailers charged Rs150-250 per dozen. Guava prices declined slightly to Rs124-130 per kilogram and sold between Rs100 and Rs150 per kg.ikkuku