KARACHI: In the ongoing chain reaction of price hike caused by unprecedented rise in fuel prices, tandoor operators have also raised prices of all varieties of roti — chapati, naan, sheermal, kulcha and taftan — by Rs2 to 15 to pass on the increase in cost of production to consumers.

A random survey of market carried out on Sunday revealed the tandoor owners who were selling chapati at Rs10 were now demanding Rs12 for it while those who did not own the tandoors were now selling the same chapati for Rs15 instead of Rs12 justifying the raise by claiming to ensure improvement in the quality in terms of weight and taste.

The low quality and lighter weight chapati is now available at Rs10 instead of Rs8.

The operators selling naan at Rs15 are now seen demanding Rs18 per piece while some big traders have fixed the rate of naan at Rs20, up from Rs18 in near past. The new price of milk-flavoured naan is Rs35 instead of Rs30.

Better quality sheermal, taftan available for Rs70 a piece

The new rates of sheermal and taftan are Rs60 per piece, up from Rs45-50, while the products with better quality and higher weight are being sold at Rs70 instead of Rs60. Price of a good quality kulcha hover between Rs50-60 as compared to Rs45-50 in recent past.

Salman Mian Arain, who owns a tandoor in Ranchor Line, said: “Tandoor owners cannot sustain massive price hike of various materials like flour, ghee, packaging material, gas and power tariff and sugar, hence they are shifting the latest burden to end users.”

He said that a 50kg flour bag now cost Rs4,100 as compared to Rs3,700 in the last quarter of 2021 while a 16kg ghee canister now sold at Rs9,400 as compared to Rs5,250.

The 25kg full cream milk bag was now available at Rs20,000 up from Rs13,500 in recent past, he said.

He said that there was some relief in sugar price, which cost Rs90 as compared to Rs108 in November 2021 but its difference was offset against overall rise in expenditure.

He said that tandoor operators were bracing for about 40 per cent jump in power tariff from July this year and they were now weighing options whether to absorb it or pass it on to people.

Price of newspapers waste used in packaging had surged to Rs250 a kilo from Rs90 per kg. Besides, price of plastic shopping bag had risen to Rs400 per kg from Rs280-300 per kg, he said.

Tandoor owners had to keep stand-by generators and LPG cylinders in view of ongoing power loadshedding and low gas pressure to ensure uninterrupted supply but the recent Rs60 increase in the per litre prices of petrol and diesel would render the price unmanageable, he said.

He feared that rising prices of roti, naan, sheermal, taftan and kulcha might precipitate a crisis for tandoor owners in case consumers cut down on purchasing these items amid meteoric price hike of all necessities of life.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2022