Flour prices surge as Punjab floods hit supply

ISLAMABAD: The prices of flour have registered a steep increase throughout Pakistan over the last few weeks, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The price of a 20-kilogram bag of flour has increased by as much as Rs1,050 over the last three weeks to a record high of Rs2,500 at certain markets.

The PBS report pointed out that several cities saw sharp and different price hikes.

A 20-kg bag rose by Rs1,050 in Bannu, the maximum rise across all areas. Peshawar and Larkana came next with a rise of Rs900 per bag.

Prices in Sukkur went up by Rs840, and Lahore saw a hike of Rs830. Likewise, Multan witnessed an increase of Rs826, and Gujranwala as well as Sialkot each registered a hike of Rs817.

In the capital city of Islamabad, the price rose by Rs800. Rawalpindi and Quetta each saw the flour getting dearer by Rs740.

Bahawalpur also witnessed a major increase, with the cost of a 20-kg bag increasing by Rs866.67.

Government officials and market observers blame the record price jump on floods in Pakistan’s breadbasket province of Punjab, which have hindered the passage of wheat inventories and disrupted supplies to mills.

The interruption has not just caused shortages in main markets but also stoked concerns about further increases in prices if relief and logistical action are not taken in time.

The increase in flour prices is likely to contribute to inflationary pressures already bearing heavily on families.