150 and above: Flour prices skyrocket in several cities

LAHORE: The prices of flour reached an all-time high in several cities of Pakistan as the flour crisis worsens, ARY News reported.

According to details, the prices of flour touched record highs, selling at Rs. 150 per kg in Lahore, Sukkur, and Peshawar due to the worse flour crisis due to the shortage of wheat in Punjab.

In the past twenty-four hours, the flour price has increased by Rs. 20 per kg, forcing citizens to stand in long queues at designated utility stores to buy subsidised flour.

The price of flour In Faisalabad has become Rs 145 per kg after the raise of Rs 20 per kg, however in Lahore, flour is selling at Rs 150, similarly, in Sukkur Rs 125 per kg, and the cost per kg flour in Karachi is between Rs 150 to 160 per kg.

Due to the suspension of wheat supply from Punjab, the price of a 20 kg bag of flour in Peshawar has increased to Rs 3,000. Despite the wheat price fixed at Rs 3,000 per maund, the Punjab government supplied wheat to flour mills at Rs 2,200 per maund.

READ: FLOUR CRISIS INTENSIFIES IN LAHORE

In Multan, a government-subsidised flour bag of 10 kg is being sold at Rs 648, similarly, a 20 kg flour bag is being sold at Rs 1,295, while the price of a 15 kg bag of fine flour has increased from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000.

On the other hand, the Sindh government is taking measures to ensure the availability of flour across the province.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah presided over the meeting of the Sindh Cabinet and approved to buy of 300,000 tons of wheat from Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation Limited (PASCO).

The Chief Minister directed to start the preparation of wheat purchase from February, the stock of 300,000 tons of wheat purchase will be completed till the sowing of the new wheat crop.