The city administration of the southern port city of Karachi has announced a new milk price, raising the retail rate by Rs20 per litre. An official notification issued by authorities sets the new retail price at Rs240 per litre, effective immediately.
The new rate farmers will receive Rs215 per litre, and wholesalers will buy milk at Rs225 per litre. As per authorities, the price increase is aimed at protecting the income of the farmers and ensure the availability of the product for consumers.
In the meantime, Pakistan’s weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) witnessed a 0.97 per cent rise for the week ended March 26, 2026.
The SPI, compiled weekly to show price trends of the essential items, includes 51 items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities in the country.
Significant price increases were noted in onions (18.10%), tomatoes (11.38%), LPG (10.05%), chicken (8.70%), potatoes (8.11%), electricity charges for Q1 (6.11%), eggs (3.54%), garlic (3.23%), mutton (2.55%), beef (1.52%), georgette (0.38%), and firewood (0.34%).
Conversely, prices declined for bananas (4.50%), wheat flour (1.00%), sugar (0.29%), gur (0.20%), and both pulse moong and IRRI-6/9 rice (0.17% each).
In the week under measure, prices of 23 items out of 51 (45.10%) increased, prices of six items (11.76%) decreased and prices of 22 items (43.14%) remained stable.
Annual inflation elevated
On a year-on-year basis, short-term inflation rose by 8.24 per cent, highlighting continued pressure on consumers compared to the same period last year.
Energy and fuel costs were among the biggest contributors to the annual increase. LPG prices were up by nearly 35 per cent, while diesel and petrol recorded increases of around 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. Gas charges also saw a significant rise.
Among food items, wheat flour, onions, chilli powder, beef and mutton posted notable increases over the year. Dairy and rice products also recorded upward movement.
At the same time, some items became cheaper compared to last year. Potato prices dropped sharply by over 45 per cent, while pulses, eggs, garlic, sugar and chicken also recorded double-digit declines.
Separately, construction-related inputs showed a slight uptick. The average price of Sona urea reached Rs4,485 per 50 kg bag, rising modestly from the previous week but remaining slightly lower than last year. Cement prices also edged up to Rs1,483 per bag, showing increases on both weekly and annual basis.
