Within just one month, the price of flour has skyrocketed across Balochistan, leaving low- and middle-income families in severe distress.
In Quetta’s markets, a 20-kilogram bag of flour, which was selling for Rs1,600 a few weeks ago, is now priced between Rs2,300 and Rs2,500. Similarly, the cost of a 100kg sack has surged from around Rs7,500–8,000 to nearly Rs11,500, pushing the per-kilogram rate up by Rs35–40.Speaking to bisaat news, consumer Osama Yusufzai said “Within a month, flour prices have flown out of reach. What cost Rs1,600 just weeks ago is now being sold at over Rs2,300.
In some areas, flour is not even available in shops or mills, creating immense hardship for people.”Central Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Badaruddin Khan, told that the crisis is not limited to Balochistan but has also gripped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.
He blamed the Punjab government’s policies for the shortage, saying:”The Punjab Chief Minister’s ban on the movement of wheat under the guise of monitoring has created sudden scarcity. Areas with higher demand couldn’t access supplies, while in other areas hoarding began. This disruption particularly hit Balochistan, KP and Karachi.”
He further explained that Pakistan is not self-sufficient in wheat. Balochistan produces around 10 million bags annually but requires 18 million, forcing the province to depend on Punjab for 8 million bags. Punjab, which produces nearly 74pc of the country’s wheat, has restricted supply, worsening the crisis.”The realistic price of wheat should be Rs3,400–3,500 per 40kg, in line with import parity. Without fair pricing, farmers will not sow sufficient wheat, and food security will remain under threat,” Khan added.
Meanwhile, the Tandoor Association has also warned of a likely increase in bread prices, saying that with flour costs rising unchecked, they may have no choice but to raise rates.With limited government stocks in Balochistan and KP, and soaring costs of imports, experts fear the crisis may deepen further unless urgent corrective steps are taken.
