KARACHI: As Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed provincial authorities to do more to ensure price stability of all essential commodities, the Sindh millers on the same day hiked flour prices further by Rs2 per kg.

This is the third consecutive price shock since Aug 15. The first price increase was made on Aug 15 (third day of Eidul Azha) and second on Aug 22.

After three consecutive price hikes, the new rate of flour no. 2.5 is now Rs44.50 while for super fine and fine flour is Rs47.50.

In the absence of any intervention from the provincial authorities, the millers have raised flour prices nine times since April citing persistent increase in wheat prices.

Consumers saw Rs11 per kg in flour no. 2.5, super fine and fine flour from April 2019 to date.

The 10kg bag produced by the mills now costs Rs450 versus Rs340 in April.

Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Pfma) Sindh Zone, Mohammad Jawed Yousuf said the 100 kg bag of wheat is now costs Rs4,000 in the open market which was Rs3,900 only a few days ago, while it was priced at Rs3,000 in April.

“I have warned the Sindh government of a serious flour crisis if the government fails to manage wheat stocks,” he tells Dawn.

The open market can sustain wheat stocks up to October 15, 2019 and the Sindh millers will need fresh supplies for making flour in November to March 2020.

Jawed said when he contacted the Food Department of the Sindh government, a senior official said that he approached Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) twice for releasing 500,000 tonnes of wheat to Sindh to overcome flour and wheat crisis in coming months.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2019