As Ramzan nears, kitchen staples grow costlier despite special bazaars

ISLAMABAD: With Ramzan drawing near, the cost of everyday food items has risen sharply in Karachi, deepening the financial strain on families already coping with persistent inflation.

Special Ramzan bazaars established across Punjab were expected to ease the burden, but shoppers report only modest savings, often amounting to just a few rupees compared with official price lists.

In Karachi’s wholesale and retail markets, traders say the prices of core Ramzan staples have climbed steadily over the past two to three weeks. Gram flour, or besan, once sold for around Rs240 per kg, now ranges from Rs260 to Rs320. Daal channa is priced between Rs250 and Rs280 per kg, while white channa has surged to Rs350 to Rs450 per kg from roughly Rs300 earlier.

Black channa has seen one of the steepest increases, rising from Rs175 per kg to about Rs280. Cooking oil prices have also moved upward, with most brands costing Rs20 to Rs30 more per litre. Shopkeepers attribute the changes to gradual increases in supply costs, while many household shoppers say their monthly budgets are already stretched thin.

In Punjab, including Lahore, Ramzan bazaars are now operational after being decorated and stocked. Many existing convenience markets have been redesignated as special bazaars for the holy month. Yet the promised discounts on fruits and vegetables are modest, typically only Rs2 to Rs5 below government-notified rates.

Potatoes in these bazaars sell for Rs18 per kg against an official rate of Rs20. Onions cost Rs58 instead of Rs60, tomatoes Rs88 instead of Rs90, and capsicum Rs148 compared with Rs150. Moongray is priced at Rs123 rather than Rs125, chillies at Rs148 instead of Rs150, and turnips at Rs123 compared with Rs125. Ginger, garlic, and lemons show slightly larger reductions of about Rs5. Most other vegetables, including bitter gourd, pumpkin, and carrots, are discounted by only Rs2 from official prices.

Fruit prices show a similar pattern. Grapes are available at Rs435 per kg compared with the official Rs440, Kandahari pomegranates at Rs625 instead of Rs630, and melons at Rs175 versus Rs180. Kalakolo apples are priced at Rs415 compared with Rs420, while guavas sell for Rs145 even though the official rate is Rs140.

There is somewhat more relief in meat and poultry. Chicken is priced at Rs451 per kg, about Rs10 below the official rate. Mutton costs Rs1,550 per kg, Rs50 less than the government price, and beef sells for Rs750 compared with Rs800. Sugar is offered at Rs140 per kg in Ramzan bazaars, noticeably cheaper than the Rs155 to Rs160 charged in the open market.

Even so, the overall impact is limited because prices in Karachi had already risen significantly before the start of the holy month. After dipping to unusually low levels during the winter harvest, vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and potatoes have begun climbing again, while flour and fruit prices are also trending upward.

With the holy month expected to begin in the third week of the month, fruit vendors have already raised rates for high-demand items including bananas, apples, and guavas. A market survey indicates that the price of a 20 kg bag of wheat flour has increased to between Rs2,500 and Rs2,700, up from Rs2,400 to Rs2,600 two weeks earlier. Fine flour has climbed to Rs141 per kg from Rs133.

Data from the Sensitive Price Index for the week ending February 4 shows a 10 kg wheat bag now costs around Rs1,100, compared with Rs1,050 two weeks earlier.

Tandoor operators say the price of a 50 kg bag of fine flour has risen by Rs450, from Rs6,000 to Rs6,450. They warn that bread prices could increase if costs exceed Rs7,000 per bag. For now, naan remains at Rs25 and chapati at Rs15 per piece, though some customers suspect portions have become smaller.

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association’s Sindh Zone disputes claims of shortages or major price hikes. Its chairman, Abdul Junaid Aziz, said the price of a 100 kg wheat bag has actually fallen to Rs10,900 from Rs11,600, with ex-mill prices for flour No. 2.5 and fine varieties at Rs104 and Rs114 per kg since December 2025.

The Sindh government reduced the wheat issue price to Rs8,000 per 100 kg bag in December to stabilise consumer costs. However, millers continue to purchase wheat from the open market at about Rs11,600 per bag to blend with government stocks, citing quality concerns such as low gluten content that affects bread texture. Aziz added that branded flour producers, who account for a small share of the market, set their own prices, partly due to higher packaging costs.

Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association Chairman Rauf Ibrahim said wholesale prices of black gram, Kabuli channa, and besan stand at Rs205, Rs310, and Rs205 per kg, but retail rates climb to Rs250 to Rs280, Rs350 to Rs400, and Rs350 to Rs400 per kg respectively. Prices of masoor, moong, and gram pulses have remained stable, while mash pulse has edged higher in recent weeks.

Vegetable prices in the city have also increased. Potatoes now sell for Rs40 to Rs70 per kg and onions for Rs50 to Rs80, while tomatoes have jumped to Rs70 to Rs100 per kg from Rs30 to Rs40 earlier. Sugar prices have eased slightly to Rs145 to Rs160 per kg, down from Rs150 to Rs170. Ibrahim urged authorities to monitor retail markets more closely during Ramazan, where consumers feel the impact most strongly.

Fruit has become noticeably more expensive as well. Bananas now cost Rs150 to Rs200 per dozen, up from Rs100 to Rs150. Apples have risen by Rs50 to Rs100 per kg, with green varieties around Rs300 and red varieties between Rs400 and Rs500. Guavas from Larkana, Kasoor, and Hyderabad range from Rs200 to Rs250 per kg, compared with Rs150 to Rs200 previously. Cheeko and melon of good quality sell for Rs200 to Rs250 per kg, also about Rs50 higher than before.

Kinnow prices range from Rs300 to Rs500 per dozen after an increase of Rs50 to Rs100, while mosambi oranges sell for Rs250 to Rs300. Vendors say prices are climbing as the fruit season nears its end.

In contrast, live chicken prices have declined to Rs340 to Rs370 per kg from Rs420 to Rs460 two weeks earlier, though retailers have raised the price of boneless veal by Rs100 per kg to Rs1,700.

As Ramzan shopping gathers pace, consumers across major cities are entering the holy month facing higher costs for many everyday food items, with only limited price relief available through government-run bazaars.