Despite the high prices, Pakistan’s love for sugar is still not polite Business and economics

Islamabad, Pakistan – When Aisha Khan, a mother of four years, bought groceries for her family this week, Shujeer was on her shopping list.

A few miles away from the corridors of power, the government of Pakistan and the Bureutrats were trying to get rid of the reform of sugar prices. But for Khan, buying sugar was necessary.

“Nearly 20 days have passed since Ramadan, and this will be the third time that I bought a five -kilogram for the family.”

“What can I say? We all have sweet teeth, and we love our sugary tea and Roh Aviza!She added, laugh, in reference to Popular flavor Drinks.

The country’s general inflation went down over the past year, with inflation from 23.06 percent in February 2024 to 1.5 percent in February this year. This was after inflation reached an increase of 38 percent in May 2023.

However, over the past few months, the price of sugar has increased by approximately 22 percent, as it increased from 140 rupees per kilogram ($ 0.50) in January to 171 rupees per kilogram ($ 0.61) in the second week of March, according to the Statistics Office in Pakistan.

But in the markets of Islamabad, many customers said that the increase in sugar prices was just a pinch, not a punch, on their wallets, adding that the stability of the prices of other major commodities such as milk, wheat and rice helped them achieve a balance between their budgets.

Muhammad Shihzad, 27, was buying Galbebee-sweet Asia in a spiral shape made of multi-purpose flour and mired in hot sugar syrup.

He said that although Ramadan usually brought a slight increase in the prices of almost every commodity, things were worse in previous years.

“We love adding sugar to our tea and sweets, of course, but since our total expenditures are under control, the increase in sugar prices did not harm us much,” he told Al -Jazeera Island while submitting a request for three kilograms of Gilby, was sold for 650 rupees ($ 2.32) per kilogram, for Iftar dinner.

Ramadan, with its daily rituals from Suhour and Iftar – Predawn and Post-SUNSET meals, respectively, often bring a little higher consumption of various food.

“Although the cost of the total inputs increased due to high sugar prices, it mainly affected the profit margins.

He said: “We buy about 10 to 12 bags per day, and each weighs 50 kg, for our six branches. It costs us one bag currently 8,500 rupees ($ 30). Before Ramadan, we cost 7800 rupees ($ 27) per bag.”

However, Mahmoud said that the owners of the stores decided not to pass the increasing cost of customers during Ramadan.

“Perhaps the price will be raised a little on the feast,” he said, referring to the festive period that follows the month of fasting.

For some, such as Mohamed Zahid, a juice seller who runs his kiosk on the side of the road over the past 32 years, pricing depends on a set of factors, including increases in the prices of both sugar and fruits, such as apples, bananas and oranges. During Ramadan, he does not have customers during the day.

He said while cutting the fruits: “With Ramadan, my sugar requirements fell normally, so my daily use ranges from two kilograms to three kilograms, which costs me 165 rupees ($ 0.59) per kilogram these days.”

Unlike the manager in the dessert store, Zahid said that the price of a cup of juice fluctuates depending on the total cost of inputs – he cannot give the customer from price changes.

He said: “If you want a cup of banana juice, this will cost you 150 rupees ($ 0.54) because both sugar and bananas are expensive at the present time.” “But if you come after Ramadan, the price may decrease to 130 rupees per glass.”

It is believed that the rise in prices is partly due to the fact that wholesalers are storing sugar to make profits at a time when most consumers will buy it for their meals at breakfast and Suhour. He said he expected the treasure to decrease after the feast.

For its part, the government said that it will try to contain sugar prices and ensure that the treasure is not exploited in the situation.

Deputy Prime Minister Isaac Dar Dar earlier this week that the government will ensure that the price of sugar does not exceed 164 rupees (0.59) per kilogram.

The gradual increase in sugar prices was blaming on the chibes, who bought large quantities of sugar earlier when the prices ranged between $ 140 ($ 0.50) and 150 rupees ($ 0.54) per kilogram.

It is expected that the total sugar production in Pakistan will be for the current fiscal year, which will end in July 2025, 6.8 million tons, while consumption is expected to be about 6.7 million tons.

Mohamed Rashid, the owner of the grocery store in Islamabad, said that his store was currently selling sugar at 168 rupees (0.60) per kilogram, an increase of 16 rupees ($ 0.06) compared to Ramadan.

Blame the “artificial shortage” on the market, Rashid said that there was a slight decrease in sugar sales.

He told Jazeera: “We are used to selling approximately 16 to 18 bags of 50 kg every day. But with Ramadan and the inflated price, our sales decreased to nearly 12 to 14 bags per day.”

Meanwhile, Pruys Kiran, who runs the grocery store in Karachi over the past three decades, said that despite the increase in prices, it is unlikely that the consumption of sugar is greatly affected.

“It is an unlike damaged element, unlike milk, vegetables or fruits, and this helps. Second, people here love sugar here, even if they kill them. Our daily sales range between 80 and 100 kg per day, and they remained as it is, whether we sell sugar at 150 rupees (0.54 dollars) per kilogram or 170 rupees (0.61 dollars) per kilogram per kilogram.

Nail AHMER, a housewife from Karachi and a mother for five years, agreed that for her family, she has been consuming sugar stable despite price fluctuations.

“Our family loves sweets, and during Ramadan, we make juices and drinks that require sugar. But the monthly purchase remains as it is almost, between seven to 10 kg, as in the months other than Ramadan, we often make sweets.”

Returning to Islamabad, Khan, who descends from Chanceda in the northwestern Khyberbukhbukuhu province, explains how her family obsessed with sugar during Ramadan.

She said that her husband, the manager of the factory in the suburbs of Islamabad, gives her approximately 50,000 rupees ($ 178) per grocery every month, but during the month of Ramadan, it increases the amount of 70,000 rupees ($ 250).

She said: “We are currently building a small extension in our house, so many of our money goes there. But during Ramadan, we stopped building because of the additional expenses. We will wait until the month ends before the construction resumes, but we will not stop buying sugar.”