As Ramadan began, spice prices in Multan surged, leaving many residents struggling to afford essential ingredients for sehri and iftar. Key spices have become prohibitively expensive, with cloves now costing Rs3200 per kilogram, black pepper at Rs2300, garam masala at Rs1800, and both red chilli and turmeric reaching Rs700 per kilogram.
One local woman lamented, “The prices of spices like red chilli should be lowered. These are essential for making curries. How can we, the poor, cook without them?” Another market visitor noted that prices had jumped by Rs30 to Rs40 within just a week.
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Traders explained that these increases are tied to rising global costs. For example, black pepper is sourced from Vietnam, dried coriander and dried plums from Iran, and cloves are imported from India. Customs duties on these imports further contribute to the price fluctuations.
In response to these steep price hikes, citizens have urged the government to take concrete steps to reduce the costs of spices.
