November 10, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 28, 1428

PESHAWAR, Nov 9: Flour price in the local market is again on the rise, as the price of the commodity has increased from Rs15 to Rs18 per kilogramme in the last two weeks, according to consumers and retailers.

Dealers in the local food grain market told Dawn that the prices of an inferior quality of flour, which had declined from Rs350 to Rs310 per 20-kg bag following the recent flour crisis, have again started rising.

As a result, local bakers have increased the price of the 140-gm Roti (bread) from Rs3 to Rs4.

On Friday, a 20-kg bag of flour of ordinary quality was being sold at Rs320 in the wholesale market and its retail price was ranging between Rs340 and Rs345. Similarly, according to consumers, the price of a 20-kg bag of fine quality flour was Rs380, with the wholesale price standing at Rs365.

Local dealers attributed the rise in flour prices to the increase in wheat prices in the open market. According to them, the price of 100kg wheat in the open market was between Rs1,550 and Rs1,600.

They say that since local flour mills are not able to meet the local demand, they have to rely on supplies from Punjab. If the prices go up there, the NWFP markets are adversely affected.

The city district government has allowed the increase in the price of 140gm Roti to Rs4 on repeated demand of bakers.

Consumers criticise the provincial food department for failing to ensure the availability of flour at the fair-price shops recently set up on the directive of the provincial chief secretary. Chief Secretary Sahibzada Riaz Noor, while inspecting the markets in September, had ordered the opening of such shops, where flour was supposed to be sold at Rs305 per 20kg.