KARACHI: Consumers in Karachi are paying the highest price of flour due to a sharp difference in wheat prices in Sindh, mainly Karachi, and Punjab.

According to flour millers, the price of 100kg wheat bag in Punjab and its main cities is Rs3,000, and flour is available at Rs35 per kg.

In Hyderbad, wheat prices hover between Rs3,330 and 3,350 per 100kg bag while flour sells at Rs38 per kg. In the interior of Sindh, the wheat price is quoted at Rs3,100 for a 100kg bag.

In Karachi, wheat is now available at Rs3,400-3,450 as against Rs3,200 on Saturday last. As a result, the millers have raised prices of various flour varieties.Before going for an indefinite strike, they had pushed up the rate of flour No 2.5 to Rs38 from Rs37 per kg from April 22. When they called off the strike on April 29, flour rates had further been jacked up to Rs39.50. The fine flour is now tagged at Rs42.50 as compared to Rs40.50 per kg.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Sindh chapter) Chairman Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf did not agree that the millers jacked up prices in the name of the strike.

Yousuf said that the millers had earlier reduced the rate of flour No 2.5 to Rs37 from Rs42 per kg due to a sharp drop in 100kg wheat bag price to Rs3,100 from Rs3,700. Later, the rate was revised up to Rs38 per kg from Rs37 per kg due to increase in wheat support price by the Sindh government to Rs1,250 from Rs1,200 per 40kgs.

He said that the government allowed wheat movement from four districts of Sindh to Karachi on April 29, but in these districts wheat was in low supply and demand was high, which caused hike in wheat prices.

Yousuf said that due to low price of wheat and flour in Punjab, some flour varieties are also arriving from Punjab to Karachi.

Market people said that the Sindh food department did not check rising flour prices due to which consumers were paying higher prices in Karachi despite good crop in the province.

Mills owners said that they did not raise prices despite hike in wheat prices, and were providing it to retailers at Rs47 per kg.