Across Pakistan, tomato prices have reached unprecedented levels, and it is being selling for Rs 400 to Rs 500 per kilogram in cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
What used to be one of the most common and affordable vegetables has suddenly become a costly commodity, putting pressure on household budgets nationwide.
Here’s what’s driving this sudden and steep price hike:
1. Crop Disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A devastating outbreak of the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus has wiped out the huge portions of the tomato crop in the Talash Valley of Lower Dir — one of Pakistan’s major growing regions. The virus, spread by whiteflies, has destroyed over 350 acres of farmland, slashing overall supply by nearly half.
2. Heavy Rains and Flooding
Unseasonal rain and flooding across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan have damaged crops already weakened by disease. The excessive moisture has slowed ripening and reduced the overall yield, worsening the shortage.
3. Border Closure With Afghanistan
Adding to the crisis, Afghanistan’s fresh fruit and vegetable exports have been severely disrupted by the closure of the Torkham border crossing. Over 200 trucks loaded with tomatoes, onions, grapes, and apples are stranded, halting trade with South Asian markets.
Afghan exporters keep on saying that fresh fruit exports have dropped by 60 to 70 percent, forcing some to depend on costly air shipments — and people are unable to afford that food at much higher prices. This disruption has cut off a major supply source for Pakistani markets, intensifying the shortage.
4. Shrinking Market Supplies
In Lahore’s Badami Bagh Market, the number of daily tomato trucks has dropped from 30 to just 15–20. Retailers are competing fiercely for limited stock, pushing prices higher across the country.
5. Delay in Sindh’s Harvest
Sindh’s upcoming tomato crop from Thatta, Badin, and Mirpurkhas has been delayed due to waterlogging. Farmers anticipate their produce to reach markets in just two weeks — a development that may finally bringing prices down.
Until then, consumers are left with little choice but to ration tomatoes or find creative substitutes in their meals — a small but telling sign of how regional trade and weather woes can hit the average kitchen table.