Sugar supply to Karachi has been suspended by mills across Sindh since Tuesday, creating uncertainty in wholesale markets and raising fears of a sharp price increase. The sudden stoppage has left traders without a stable supply making sugar one of the most talked-about commodities in the city.
According to Rauf Ibrahim, Chairman of the Wholesale Grocers Association, the ex-mill rate on Monday was Rs. 175 per kilogram while wholesalers were selling at Rs. 179 per kilogram. But with no new supply coming in, these rates have already lost relevance and buyers are struggling to secure sugar at any fixed price.
Ibrahim accused mill owners of engineering an artificial crisis by holding back their stocks. He said sugar is being deliberately hoarded so that it can later be sold at higher rates once the market tightens further.
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Highlighting the lack of alternatives, Ibrahim explained that imported sugar takes nearly three weeks to reach Pakistan. “As a result, there is currently no fixed price for sugar in Karachi’s wholesale markets. This uncertainty poses a real threat of a sudden price hike,” he warned.
The situation is adding to economic pressures, with both wholesalers and consumers bracing for costlier sugar, especially as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.
