Despite strong wheat production, flour prices continue rising as 50kg bags reach Rs8,000, with wheat hitting Rs132 per kilogram in Karachi wholesale markets.
Webdesk- Sardar Muneeb
Flour prices continue to rise across Pakistan despite a strong wheat harvest, with the price of a 50-kilogram flour bag reaching as high as Rs8,000 in some areas.
In Karachi’s wholesale market, wheat prices have increased from Rs90 to Rs132 per kilogram over the past four months. Meanwhile, 2.5 flour is being sold at Rs155, fine flour at Rs157 and chakki flour at Rs180 per kilogram.
Wholesale Grocery Association Chairman Rauf Ibrahim attributed the price increase to wheat deregulation, the removal of the support price and alleged hoarding. He said the planned import of 750,000 tonnes of wheat through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) would be insufficient to meet domestic demand, while imported wheat is not expected to arrive before November.
Pakistan Farmers’ Alliance Chairman Khalid Hussain said the current wheat policy is affecting both farmers and consumers. He questioned the need for imports, saying Pakistan is itself a major wheat-producing country.
According to Muhammad Daniyal, Country Head of LDC Pakistan, wheat of the same quality is trading internationally at around $290 per tonne, while Pakistani wheat is being sold at approximately $270 per tonne.
Experts say poor storage facilities, including inadequate warehouses and open storage centers, increase the risk of moisture and pest damage, affecting the export value of Pakistani wheat.
Pakistan produces around 30 million tonnes of wheat annually, while its consumption is estimated at approximately 31 million tonnes.
