Flour price reduced in Sindh after govt releases wheat to mills

KARACHI: The flour price has reduced up to Rs10 per kilogram in Karachi’s open markets after the Sindh government released subsidised wheat quota to the flour mills, ARY News reported on Monday.

In the open market, the rate of per kilogram of wheat went down from Rs130 to Rs120. According to the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association, the prices of chakki and fine flour were also reduced.

The chakki flour price is reduced from Rs160 to Rs150 per kg.

Citing the acute shortage of flour and rising prices, the Sindh government released the subsidised wheat quota to flour mills which reduced the flour price up to Rs10 per kilogram in Karachi markets.

READ: PUNJAB DECIDES TO CHECK FLOUR MILLS’ RECORD AMID WHEAT SHORTAGE

The provincial food department released the wheat quota to the flour mills and chakki owners today. Flour mills have been given 97,000 tonnes of subsidised wheat and 700,500 tonnes to the chakki owners in Karachi.

In Hyderabad, the food department released 27,947 tonnes of wheat to flour mills and 7,000 tonnes to chakki owners.

The provincial government has so far released 201,608 tonnes of wheat to the flour mills and 25,392 tonnes to chakki owners across Sindh.

A flour crisis has hit Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, making it difficult for nationals to purchase inflated flour from local markets after a sharp rise in the prices of other essential commodities as well.

READ: FLOUR PRICE REACHES RS160/KG IN QUETTA

In Punjab, the provincial food department decided to check the flour mills’ records amid the intense wheat shortage. Earlier in the day, the food department sought three-month records from flour dealers and shopkeepers. DFC and AFC food will collect the data in a week.

The step was taken after flour prices jacked up for the eighth time in two months in Lahore. The price of a 1 kg bag has increased by Rs10 in the provincial capital and is now being sold at Rs160.

In the provincial capital of Balochistan, the price of flour continued to rise, as the latest rate of the commodity reached Rs160 per kg in Quetta.

The price of the 10-kg flour reached Rs1,600 in the area, while a massive flour shortage has also hit the Quetta utility stores despite the government’s subsidized flour scheme.

The provincial food department announced to release wheat quota to flour mills on January 10.