Published 26 Oct,2021 via Dawn - From plain bread and milk to flour and cooking oil, Pakistanis are paying substantially more than they did a year ago for just about all everyday food items.
For example, the per-kilo price of vegetable ghee has risen 27 per cent every year on average for the last three years. Retail prices of cooking oil, sugar and pulse Mash have gone up 23pc, 22pc and 21pc, respectively, every year since October 2018.
According to Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, the main trigger for food inflation in Pakistan is the cost of imported fuels. Unusually high international prices of commodities, such as petroleum products as well as palm oil, have contributed heavily to food inflation in the local market, he said. “Food prices tend to go up as soon as the rates of petroleum products increase.”
Free, in under 30 seconds
Join thousands of professionals reading Salaam Gateway — the Global Islamic Economy Gateway.
Already a member? Sign in
- 5 free articles every month
- Weekly Islamic-economy newsletter
- Save articles to read later
Dawn