LAHORE: Flour mill owners have decided to increase prices of wheat flour for the third time, taking the 20-kg bag price to Rs1,075 from the current Rs1,035, with an increase of Rs40 per bag.

Senior Punjab Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Food Secretary Waqas Ali Mahmood are on board regarding the official permission given for the third increase in the prices of flour.

The permission was granted two weeks ago during talks between the Punjab Flour Mills Association and the Punjab government for raising flour prices from July 1.

PFMA leaders say the main reason for increase in flour prices is the hike in wheat rate in the open market that has gone up to Rs2,000 per 40kg. They say the price of flour will be raised by Rs20 per bag in the first phase and a similar raise after a week.

The new ex-mill rate of flour will be Rs1,030 per 20kg bag and at retail Rs1,055 per 20kg bag for first week of July. Rs20 will be added to the rates in the next week.

During the last month, the flour price has registered Rs275 per 20kg bag increase, a record in the history of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2020