KARACHI: Bread has become expensive by eight to nine per cent after its price was increased for the second time this year due to an increase in power, gas, raw material and transportation costs.

The manufacturers increased the rates in April this year after three years, citing the same reasons. The price list showed that the large, medium and small plain bread now cost Rs270, Rs200 and Rs140 compared to an earlier price of Rs240, Rs180 and Rs130. Bran bread’s price has been raised to Rs200 from Rs180, while the rate of school bun has been retained at Rs25.

Similarly, the packet of four burger buns is now sold at Rs140 instead of Rs130. Rusks’ small and large packet prices have surged to Rs100 and Rs180 from Rs90 and Rs170.

The flour price has been on the rise for months now. As per the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending Sept 3, the national average price of a 20kg flour bag, a 10kg wheat bag and one kg fine

flour was Rs2,200-3,200, Rs1,250 and Rs155 as compared to Rs1,810-2,740, Rs1,039 and Rs137 at the end of March 2026.

Traders and retailers said the government was not taking any serious measures to arrest the rising trend in prices of various varieties of flour due to soaring wheat prices in the open market. They said the price of wheat and flour have not stabilised since the government failed to make a timely decision to import one million tonnes of grain to stabilise the market.

The Trading Corp­oration of Pakistan on Wednesday invited bids to import 750,000 tonnes of wheat to overcome the grain shortage in the country.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2026