As people are suffering from the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, they will now pay more for wheat flour as the millers decided to increase the price, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Saturday.

According to details, the Punjab Zone of All Pakistan Flourmills Association hiked the prices of 10 kilogramme and 20 kilogramme bags by Rs20.

As a result, the new prices of 10 kilogramme and 20 kilogramme bags are Rs420 and Rs825 respectively.

Commenting on the move, All Pakistan Flourmills Association (Punjab Zone) president Abdul Rauf Mukhtar said the price hike was a result of an increase in wheat price, adding that wheat from the government godowns was not being provided to the millers.

The wheat price in grain markets has reached Rs1,500 per 40-kg, he said, adding that there would have been no increase in the prices if the Punjab Food Department had allowed them earlier to buy from the open market.

He maintained that the flour mills were providing flour at cheaper to the consumers after buying wheat at a higher rate from the open market.

Earlier this month, 24NewsHD TV channel reported that the Punjab Food Department had suspended the supply of wheat from government godowns to flour mills in four cities of Punjab, making the price hike imminent.

The move was a result of ending the government quota for the flour mills of these cities, which will now buy wheat from the open market. The mills in other 33 districts of Punjab are already buying wheat from private sources.

These flourmills were getting 10,000 tonnes of wheat on the intervention of Food Minister Aleem Khan on a preferential basis.