Pakistan: Retail Potato Price Drops 8.3% in a Week and 39% in a Year, Official Price Survey Shows

The average retail price of potatoes in Pakistan fell to Rs51.09 per kilogram in the week ended on 24 September 2026.

The data come from the weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The survey covers 51 essential items. Prices are collected in 50 markets in 17 cities.

A week earlier, on 17 September, potatoes cost Rs55.73 per kilogram. The weekly fall was 8.33%. Among food items, only tomatoes fell faster during the week.

One year earlier, in the week to 25 September 2025, the average price was Rs84.05 per kilogram. The yearly fall is 39.21%. This was the largest yearly decrease among all 51 items in the survey. Sugar, tomatoes and eggs followed.

The fall in potato prices came while the general index moved up. The SPI rose by 0.99% during the week, mainly because of a higher electricity charge.

Prices also differ between cities. The lowest city average for potatoes in the survey was about Rs33 per kilogram. Most city averages were between Rs43 and Rs72 per kilogram.

The survey does not explain the reasons for the price change. It also does not give data on potato stocks or planting.

The new data come at the start of the autumn planting season in Punjab, the main potato-growing province. Low prices at retail usually mean low prices at the farm gate as well.

Why it matters

Potato growers in Pakistan decide now how much land to plant for the main autumn crop. Prices 39% lower than a year ago reduce the money available for seed and fertiliser. They also increase the pressure to sell stored potatoes and to find export markets. The weekly survey will show whether the fall continues as old-crop stocks leave cold stores.

Our report on the national target for 160,000 tonnes of certified seed potatoes was published on 24 September.

Photo: A vegetable market in Dadu, Sindh, Pakistan (illustrative). kamran.solangi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0