LAHORE:Despite weekly official price notifications, consumers continued to face sharpdiscrepancies between government-set rates and what they actually paid in retail markets, underscoring weak enforcement and persistentsupplychain disruptions. From chicken to basic vegetables and seasonal fruits, prices at neighbourhood shops routinely exceeded official benchmarks—often by a wide margin—leaving households exposed to unchecked profiteering at a time of already strained purchasing power.
The trend was most visible in poultry and staple produce, where official price increases or reductions had little bearing on market behaviour. Live chicken and meat remained largely unavailable at notified rates, while items such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and garlic were sold at premiums ranging from 30 to over 100 per cent. The widening gap between official lists and retail prices adds to concerns that price control mechanisms have become largely symbolic, offering little real relief to consumers grappling with persistent food inflation.
Prices of essential kitchen items remained volatile this week, with official rates showing modest adjustments but retail markets continuing to defy price lists across most localities. This week, the official price of live chicken further gained by Rs10 per kg and was fixed at Rs389–403 per kg, but it remained unavailable at these rates in most localities. Chicken meat increased by Rs15 per kg, fixed at Rs584 per kg; however, it was sold between Rs630 and Rs700 per kg in retail markets, while boneless chicken continued to fetch at Rs1,100 per kg.
Soft-skin new potatoes reduced by Rs3 per kg, fixed at Rs24–27 per kg, yet retailers sold them at Rs50–70 per kg. Onion prices increased by Rs6 per kg, fixed at Rs63–68, sold at Rs80–100 per kg. Tomato price unchanged at Rs75–80 per kg, while retail prices ranged between Rs100 and Rs150 per kg.
Local garlic reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs152–160 per kg, sold at Rs200–250 per kg. Harani garlic downed by Rs10 per kg, fixed at Rs310–320 per kg, while retail prices stood at Rs400 per kg. Chinese garlic gained by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs435–455 per kg, yet sold at Rs600 per kg.
Bitter gourd unchanged at Rs66–70, yet continued to retail at around Rs200 per kg.Spinach prices reduced by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs23–25 per kg, sold at Rs50–70 per kg. Among fruits, apple price gained by Rs5 per kg, fixed at Rs200–400 per kg, while retail price ranged between Rs250 and Rs600 per kg.
Banana price increased by Rs5 per dozen, fixed at Rs140–155 per dozen, sold at Rs130–200 per dozen. Citrus fruit price gained by Rs55 per dozen, fixed at Rs220–315 per dozen, while retail price ranged between Rs250 and Rs400 per dozen.
