Flour prices hit records in Peshawar and Hyderabad as roti costs rise

The price of flour has hit record levels in Peshawar and Hyderabad, pushing up the cost of roti and leaving ordinary households struggling, as government-subsidised supplies run short and traders are accused of creating an artificial shortage.

Peshawar: Rs30 for a single roti

In Peshawar, a 20-kilogram bag of coarse flour now sells for Rs3,300, The Express Tribune reported. Traders and residents say the prices are the highest the city has seen:

• Coarse flour (20kg): Rs3,300
• Fine flour (20kg): Rs3,120
• Coarse flour (80kg): Rs13,200
• Bran, or chokar (20kg): Rs1,480

Bakers have raised the price of a 50-gram roti by Rs10 to Rs30. In several key markets, including Khyber Bazaar, Ashraf Road, Karachi Market, Namak Mandi and Government College Chowk, single rotis are no longer sold; only double rotis are available, at Rs40 each. Residents say rotis are also getting smaller.

Dealers are said to have made crores of rupees in profit within days, and law enforcement agencies have begun monitoring large dealers and warehouses amid claims of hoarding. Citizens have urged the administration to act against bakers who ignore the official rate list and weight.

What the KP government says

The provincial Food Department said it distributed 417,168 bags of flour at official rates last week through 1,611 dealers, and that 3,000 tonnes of government wheat from the strategic reserve are being released to mills every day. Official 20kg bags cost Rs2,520 through selected dealers. Eight flour mills were fined for breaking the rules.

Hyderabad: wheat at a record high

In Hyderabad, a 100kg bag of wheat reached a record Rs13,100 in the open market on Monday, up Rs600 in two days, the paper reported:

• Saturday: Rs12,500
• Sunday: Rs12,800
• Monday: Rs13,100

Flour mills and chakki owners are buying wheat on the open market because they have not received the government quota. Chakki flour now sells at about Rs155 a kilogram wholesale and Rs160 in shops, and owners warn it could reach Rs170.

A delayed release

The Sindh cabinet first said it would release government wheat on October 1, but moved the date to October 20, and the official price has not yet been set. Chakki owners say the delay has given traders and hoarders room to push prices up almost daily.

“An artificial shortage of wheat” has been created, said Haji Muhammad Memon, president of the Flour Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association, adding that wheat was hard to find even at Rs13,100. He urged the Sindh chief minister to release the quota at once.

Chakki owners also say it costs about Rs35 to grind a kilogram of flour, while the deputy commissioner allows only Rs24 in the official price.

Why it matters

Roti is the most basic food for most Pakistani families, and its price affects the poorest the most. With fuel prices already high, a flour crisis in two major cities adds to the pressure on household budgets. Quick release of official wheat stocks and action against hoarding are what consumers are now asking for. Read our report on today’s fuel prices.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune.