Peshawar( Khyber Point)Flour prices across Pakistan have surged to their highest levels of the year, with major cities including Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar witnessing sharp increases in wheat and flour costs.
In Lahore, the price of wheat has risen to Rs. 3,200 per maund, driving up flour prices. The 20-kilogram flour bag, which cost Rs. 1,400 at the beginning of August, is now being sold for Rs. 1,700, while chakki flour has gone up from Rs. 130 per kilogram to Rs. 135.
In Balochistan, the situation has become even more challenging. A 100-kilogram flour sack that was previously sold for Rs. 7,000 is now available for Rs. 9,000, marking a steep Rs. 2,000 increase in just ten days. Dealers in Chaman reported that Punjab mill flour, once priced at Rs. 6,900 per 100kg, is now being sold for Rs. 8,900, while locally milled fine flour rose from Rs. 7,200 to Rs. 9,150 per 100kg.
Similarly, in Peshawar, flour prices have also skyrocketed. The 20-kilogram flour bag has increased by Rs. 550, now costing Rs. 1,850.
Dealers and flour associations have attributed the price hikes to multiple factors, including heavy rains in Punjab and Sindh, disruptions in the wheat supply chain, and alleged self-imposed price increases by flour mill owners. The Flour Dealers Association warned that the trend of rising prices is not limited to Chaman but is being witnessed across the province and could continue until the end of August.
The sudden surge in flour prices has raised serious concerns among households, particularly low-income families, who are already burdened by inflation. Analysts fear that if the current trend continues, flour could become unaffordable for many segments of society.
