Wheat Imports Fail to Provide Relief in Flour Prices
The arrival of imported wheat has lowered grain prices in Pakistan’s open market, but consumers continue to pay high rates … Read More The post Wheat Imports Fail to Provide Relief in Flour Prices appeared first on ProPakistani .
Despite recent reductions in mill prices for wheat, consumers in Pakistan continue to face high costs for flour and baked goods. Imported wheat shipments totaling 109,132 tonnes have entered the country, but open-market wheat prices have only seen a marginal decrease from Rs. 140 to Rs. 130 per kilogram. Flour millers had already lowered flour prices by Rs.
20 per kg ahead of the shipments, with current rates for flour No. 2.5, maida, and fine flour standing at Rs. 156, Rs. 168, and Rs. 171 per kilogram, respectively. However, retail prices for these products have remained unchanged at Rs. 170-180, Rs. 185-190, and Rs. 185-190 per kilogram. The high cost of LPG has partially offset the benefits of lower flour prices, with tandoor owners warning that further LPG price increases could jeopardize their businesses.
Despite these efforts, regulators have failed to control inflated retail prices, and critics argue that the planned import of 750,000 tonnes of wheat will not be enough to address Pakistan's supply-demand gap. The country requires more than 2 million tonnes of wheat to bridge this gap until the next crop is harvested in March-May.
Flour prices continue to be highest in Karachi and Hyderabad, with a 20kg flour bag costing up to Rs. 3,540 in Karachi and an average of Rs. 3,200 nationwide.
Written by urgent.news from ProPakistani's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
