Rising flour prices make 'roti' unaffordable for poor across Pakistan
Business
Flour prices have surged across Pakistan, making bread unaffordable for low-income families. Increases of PKR 20–40 per kilogram in major cities and shortages at official rates are worsening the cost
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The skyrocketing price of flour has made even basic bread hard to afford for low-income families across Pakistan, with residents in several cities struggling to buy the staple.
Sources reported that in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, the price of flour has risen by up to Rs30 per kilogram, while Karachi has seen an increase of Rs40 per kilogram. In Quetta, shopkeepers have raised rates by Rs20 per kilogram.
Badruddin Kakar, central chairman of the Flour Mills Association of Pakistan, said that flour is now largely unavailable at official rates except in Lahore and a few other cities.
He added that instead of 20-kilogram bags, shopkeepers are selling 15-kilogram bags at Rs2,000 per bag, making it more expensive for consumers.
Kakar demanded the removal of inter-provincial restrictions on flour distribution, urging that wheat quotas be allocated equally across Punjab to stabilize prices.
Citizens expressed frustration over the government’s failure to enforce official flour rates, saying that the rising cost of living has already made daily life a struggle. “Even a simple loaf of bread has become a luxury,” one resident said.
The soaring prices and shortages are placing a heavy burden on families, particularly the poor, and highlighting the need for stronger oversight and market regulation.
