Pakistan’s market is experiencing sharp fluctuations in essential commodity prices after the suspension of Afghan trade, with fruits and vegetables becoming significantly more expensive while poultry prices have fallen steeply in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The daily exchange of perishable goods between the two countries had long supported a stable supply in the border regions. Abdul Basit, head of the Poultry Wholesalers Association, said on Sunday that the current volatility is a direct result of disrupted demand and supply caused by the halt in trade.
He said Pakistan’s routine trade with Afghanistan involved both export and import of essential perishable items, including chicken, fruits, and vegetables. “Poultry product prices are down as there is no export to Afghanistan now and there is surplus supply in the local market,” Basit said.
Live chicken, which sold for PKR 460–470 per kilogram in September, is now priced at PKR 350–360. Boneless poultry meat has dropped to PKR 700–800 per kg from around PKR 1,000 earlier.
Vegetable and fruit prices have surged as traders are unable to import supplies from Afghanistan. Muhammad Fahad Iqbal, Vice Chairman of the Fruits and Vegetables Association, said Pakistan relies heavily on Afghan imports for items such as tomatoes, onions, and fruits, as well as a wide range of dry fruits. With the borders closed, he said, prices have risen sharply.
Potatoes are now selling for PKR 200–300 per kg, onions for PKR 250–400 per kg, garlic at PKR 600 per kg, and ginger at PKR 800 per kg. A vegetable wholesaler noted that recent floods destroyed many local crops, leaving Pakistan increasingly dependent on Afghan produce. “In many areas, vegetable and fruit crops were wasted, so we have been relying heavily on Afghan imports,” he said.
Tensions escalated after Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, claimed that Afghanistan’s Taliban government had instructed its traders to halt commerce with Pakistan. He suggested that a complete stop in bilateral trade would ultimately benefit the Pakistani population, a statement that has added to the ongoing political debate.
The trade suspension has triggered immediate economic consequences on both sides of the border, with Pakistani markets now grappling with shortages, surpluses, and sharp price swings across essential perishable goods.
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