ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The rates of flour and rice have witnessed a steep increase in Pakistan over the past weeks, with record-breaking rains and destructive floods in Punjab, subjecting the nation’s supply chain to tremendous pressure.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) stated that the price of a 20-kilogram flour bag increased by as much as Rs1,050 over the last three weeks, touching a high of Rs2,500 in a few markets.
The PBS report, issued for the week ending September 5, highlighted that multiple cities witnessed steep and varying price increases.
In Bannu, the price of a 20-kg bag rose by Rs1,050, the highest jump among all regions. Peshawar and Larkana followed, recording an increase of Rs900 per bag.
Prices in Sukkur climbed by Rs840, while Lahore witnessed an increase of Rs830.
Likewise, Multan posted an increase of Rs826, and Gujranwala and Sialkot posted an increase of Rs817 each.
In Islamabad, the federal capital, the price hike hit a high of Rs800, while Rawalpindi and Quetta each saw flour getting dearer by Rs740 each.
Bahawalpur also posted a huge jump, with the price of a 20-kg bag increasing by Rs866.67 during the same time period.
Market regulators and observers blame the record increase in prices on flooding in Punjab, Pakistan’s breadbasket region, that has halted the flow of wheat stocks and slowed supplies to flour mills.
The disruption has not only caused shortages in major markets but also ignited fears of a further jump in prices if relief and logistics efforts are not imposed in time.
The increase in flour prices is likely to contribute to inflationary pressures already straining families.
The buyers, especially from low- and middle-income classes, are finding it hard to digest the effect, as flour is the basic food ingredient throughout Pakistan.
