Lahore Food Prices Surge as Flood-stricken Punjab Chokes Off Supplies
Heavy monsoon rains have triggered widespread flooding across Punjab, crippling food supply networks into Lahore. With roads submerged and transport halted, wholesale markets are running short on perishables, causing steep price spikes across poultry, vegetables, and fruits.
Consumers are facing not only limited availability and diminished quality—with many items arriving damaged or in smaller quantities—but also unchecked profiteering, as retailers charge far above official price lists.
In poultry markets:
- Live chicken, officially priced at Rs 397–411/kg, is selling at Rs 500–530.
- Chicken meat, listed at Rs 595/kg, is hitting Rs 650–750.
- Boneless chicken, capped at Rs 1,100/kg, is fetching up to Rs 1,200.
Vegetable prices have also surged:
- Potatoes (soft-skinned) went from Rs 85–90/kg to Rs 150; lower grades jumped from Rs 55–75 to Rs 125–130.
- Onions rose from Rs 65–70 to Rs 100–120.
- Tomatoes climbed from Rs 110–120 to Rs 180–200.
- Garlic, ginger, and variants like Harani garlic all saw sharp hikes, with prices approaching double their official rates.
Fruit vendors mirrored the trend:
- Mangoes surged from Rs 210–310 to Rs 200–450.
- Grapes rose from Rs 440–460 to Rs 500–600.
- Dates soared from Rs 470–500 to Rs 900–2,000.
- Persimmons jumped from Rs 168–175 to Rs 300–350.
Experts warn that this perfect storm of natural calamity and lax enforcement will continue to fuel inflation in essential food prices unless intervention stabilizes supply routes and market oversight is strengthened.