Wheat and flour price hike feared expensive: Shortfall of 3 million tons

After a shortfall of 3 million tons of wheat in the country, further increase in the price of wheat and flour is feared. At present, a 100 kg bag costs Rs 7400.

The flour mills owners have decided to increase the price of flour to Rs 100 per kg in the next few days. Mill owners say that they cannot sell flour at Rs 65 per kg when they buy wheat at Rs 74 per kg.

Haji Muhammad Yousuf, chairman of Pakistan Flour Mills Association, while told media that at present there are 7 million tons of wheat reserves in the country, but the federal and provincial governments are not selling these wheat in the market. There is short fall of 3 million tons, but its effects will come in December-January.

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He said that the government should make deals of 3 million tons of wheat by December so that there would be no shortage of wheat in December and January. The decision to bring the 7 million tons of wheat stored in the market will bring the price of flour across the country to Rs 60.

He said that at present the Sindh and the Punjab governments have imposed such restrictions for corruption due to which the mills have stopped purchasing wheat and the mills have started closing down.

If the government wants to make flour cheaper, then the movement of wheat should be made free. If the Punjab and Sindh governments remove the border checkpoints, then flour will come up to Rs. 60 per kg, Flour Mills owners representative claimed.

According to Pakistan Flour Mills Association, the current situation is that the Punjab and Sindh governments have restricted the sale and purchase of wheat at the district level, which is exacerbating the wheat crisis in the country.