Flour prices continue to surge across major cities, 20-kg bag hits Rs2,500
Flour prices in the market have witnessed a sharp increase over the past three weeks due to floods and torrential rains in the country, with the cost of a 20-kilogram bag reaching record levels across major cities, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
According to a report issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the price of a 20-kilo flour bag has surged by as much as Rs1,050 in some areas, pushing retail prices to an unprecedented Rs2,500 per bag.
The PBS data further revealed that the residents of Bannu city experienced the maximum hike, where flour rose by Rs1,050 in just three weeks.
Peshawar and Larkana followed, with an increase of Rs 900, while Bahawalpur recorded a rise of Rs 866.67.
Other significant hikes were reported in Sukkur with Rs840, Lahore with Rs830, Multan with Rs826.67, and Gujranwala and Sialkot, where prices rose by Rs817. Islamabad also recorded an increase of Rs800.
In Rawalpindi and Quetta, flour prices rose by Rs740, Sargodha saw an increase of Rs733, Hyderabad Rs720, while Karachi and Faisalabad witnessed a Rs700 rise.
Even Khuzdar, one of the lower-affected areas, reported a hike of Rs600 over the same period.
As a result of these increases, flour has reached alarming retail levels nationwide. The highest price of Rs2,500 per 20-kilo bag was recorded in Peshawar and Bannu, while Islamabad followed closely with Rs2,426.67.
In Karachi, Hyderabad, and Rawalpindi, the same bag reached Rs2,400.
Bahawalpur reported a price of Rs 2,333.33, whereas in Quetta and Larkana it touched Rs 2,300.
In Multan, the cost rose to Rs2,293.33, while in Sialkot and Gujranwala it reached Rs2,267.
Sukkur reported Rs2,240, Lahore Rs2,230, and in Faisalabad, Sargodha, and Khuzdar, the price hit Rs2,200, placing an immense burden on households nationwide.
The persistent rise in flour prices has raised serious concerns for consumers nationwide, as the essential commodity becomes increasingly unaffordable.
Reporter: Waqas Azeem