Fruit and vegetable prices have risen sharply in Pakistan's Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces following the suspension of trade with Afghanistan. At the same time, poultry prices have dropped due to surplus supply in local markets. Abdul Basit, who heads the Poultry Wholesalers Association, said the recent volatility in essential commodities reflects the demand and supply situation in the border region. According to Basit, daily trade with Afghanistan previously included exports and imports of perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetable prices have moved higher as traders are unable to import produce from Afghanistan. Muhammad Fahad Iqbal, Vice Chairman of the Fruits and Vegetables Association, said, "Pakistan imports vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and fruits, and a lot of dry fruit from Afghanistan via road trade, but with borders closed, prices have gone up." Potatoes are now selling for PKR 200 to 300 per kilo (US$0.72 to US$1.08), onions at PKR 250 to 400 per kilo (US$0.90 to US$1.44), garlic at PKR 600 per kilo (US$2.16), and ginger at PKR 800 per kilo (US$2.88).
A vegetable wholesaler said, "Recent floods hit a lot of local crops in the country, and in many areas, vegetable and fruit crops were wasted, so we have been relying heavily on Afghan imports." Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, commented that Afghanistan's Taliban authorities had told traders to halt trade with Pakistan. He claimed that "eventually, if there is no trade with Afghanistan, it will benefit the Pakistani people."
Growers and traders in greenhouse-linked supply chains are assessing short-term availability and pricing trends as the disruption continues to influence local wholesale markets and import flows.
Source: India First
