As inflation rises in Pakistan, the price of a 20-kilogram flour bag has increased by Rs 200 in Peshawar, now costing Rs 2000.
In Peshawar, the price of an 80-kilogram flour bag has gone up by Rs 1000, while a mixed flour bag has increased from Rs 1700 to Rs 1900.
In Islamabad, flour prices have dropped to provide relief. A 15-kilogram bag is now Rs 1650, down from Rs 2250, and a 10-kilogram bag is Rs 1200, down from Rs 1470.
The Punjab government has banned wheat smuggling to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and set up checkposts to enforce this. The Flour Mills Association reports thousands of trucks waiting outside warehouses in KP, where the government is buying wheat at Rs 3,900 per maund, while it’s sold for Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,000 in Punjab. Restrictions are creating more challenges for farmers.