RAWALPINDI, June 19: Flour Mills Association has increased the price of flour by Rs6 due to wheat shortage in the private market.

About a week ago, a 20kg bag of flour was available at Rs182 which has now increased to Rs188. Similarly, during the last one year, there has been an increase of Rs16 in the 20kg bag. This bag was available at Rs170 that has now risen to Rs188.

Union leaders of the flour mills said the increase was a result of wheat shortage in the open market. Most of the wheat stock has been purchased by the government and stored, vice- chairman of Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Rawalpindi region, Raza Ahmad Shah, said.

Stockists have hoarded the remaining wheat resulting in the shortage, he added.

Apart from this, the yield of wheat crop is also less this year compared to last year, he said, and maintained that, as a result, they have not been receiving enough wheat for supply to the consumers.

Mr Shah said according to its policy, the government would start releasing wheat to them from August 14. At present, we do not get any supply from the government, he said.

Seeing this shortage, private suppliers have raised the price of wheat, compelling us to make a raise accordingly, he said.

If the shortage persists as it is now, there can be a further increase in the price, he said.

Mr Shah said the government should impose a ban on export of wheat and import it instead if it thought it was facing shortage for the current year.

On the other hand, the increase in price has raised concern among the people. This is the first gift of this year’s budget which was shown to be tax-free, a consumer said.

The after-effects of the budget have started trickling down to the common man, he added.

“Most of the poor people live on dry bread due to the high price of commodities of daily life. They will also be deprived of this luxury and forced to go hungry after this increase,” another consumer said.