KARACHI, Aug 17: The burden on consumers has intensified owing to increase in wholesale price of 80kg atta bag by Rs100 followed by surge in onion prices by one rupee per kg.

As a result of increase in wholesale price of atta (chakki No. 2.5), the retail price of atta has surged by one rupee per kg in the market.

A 10kg-bag of Ashrafi brand atta now costs Rs115 per bag as compared to Rs105 per bag. In some posh areas retailers are selling it at Rs120. Similarly, the price of various 80kg bags has risen by almost same amount.

Fine atta now costs Rs12 per kg in loose form as compared to Rs11 per kg, while Chakki atta in loose can now be purchased at Rs11 per kg as compared to Rs10 per kg.

Retailers in various areas simply attribute the price hike to increase in wheat rates to Rs850 per 100kg in Sindh and up to Rs840 in Punjab, showing a rise of Rs100.

Vice-chairman, Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Naeem Ahmed Khan Malik, blamed the private sector for hoarding the wheat that resulted in price hike. Besides, wheat, which was coming from Punjab in Sindh, has also become costlier.

He said there was a disparity in fixing wheat prices by the government as the rate for wheat available in Sindh is Rs850 per 100kg, while the rate for Punjab has been fixed at Rs827.

On the other hand, the price of onion has also gone up to Rs13 per kg from Rs11-12 few days back. In some areas, retailers are demanding Rs14 per kg.

A retailer linked the price surge to slow arrivals of onion from some areas of Balochistan. Onion prices had already gone up to Rs11-12 per kg from Rs10 per kg on August 1.

In Subzi Mandi, its wholesale prices now range between Rs9 and Rs9.50 per kg as compared to Rs6-6.50.

The Sindh crop has already come to an end about two months back. The province is currently consuming Balochistan crop, while Punjab is depending on the supplies from various parts of Balochistan.

Retailers said that they were expecting price stabilization in mid-August depending on the supplies from various areas of Balochistan crop but it could not happen. Another retailer said that some dealers are picking up onion from the market for export to Sri Lanka. He said Sindh crop would start from November.