The last year’s devastating floods had adversely affected agriculture and livestock sectors in the country including Khyber Pakthunkhwa, which resulted in a significant increase in prices of flour, vegetables and dairy products during Ramzan. Incurring USD 40 billion losses to the Government kitty including $3.7 billion to the agriculture, food, livestock and fishery sectors of Pakistan, the August 2022 moon floods and global economic recessions in the wake of the Russian-Ukraine war besides other factors, have largely contributed to the record 31.1 per cent hike in inflation recorded in February last since 1974 by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The destruction to seasonal agriculture crops, fruits and vegetables by the flash floods have increased prices in Peshawar where 20 kg flour bag was available at Rs2800-3000 and 10kg bag at Rs1400-1600 in the open market, which was beyond the purchasing power of the poor, marginalized and low-income groups.
In Peshawar, one-kilogram of potato was being sold at Rs100, onion at Rs 150 per kg, tomatoes at Rs 140 per kg, and garlic at Rs500 per kg. Similarly, one-kilogram of apple was available at Rs350-400 per kg, guava at Rs200 per kg, strawberry at Rs400 per kg, banana at Rs 200 per dozen and watermelon at Rs 200 per kg besides lemon at Rs500 per kg during Ramzan. The price of chicken has also soared to Rs 580 per kg, meat at Rs 850 per kg and mutton at Rs 1600 per kg besides Rs 220 each per litre of milk and yogurt per kilogram respectively.
To provide speedy relief to price-hike-stricken people, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced free-of-charge flour (Atta) to facilitate millions of poor people of the country including Khyber Pakthunkhwa. The free distribution of flour started from the 25th Shaban and would continue till the 25th Ramzan in the country including Khyber Pakthunkhwa. In Khyber Pakthunkhwa, the provincial government has announced an Rs19.77 billion flour package to facilitate over 5.750 million families in the province.
A KP Food Department spokesman told APP that 7600 centres were established in the province for the distribution of free ‘Atta’ under the BISP program to people. As many as 2,000 flour distribution points were also set up in the far-flung and remote areas of the province where approximately, 17.2 million kilogram atta would be distributed among poor families. Like KP, free distribution of flour bags among millions of deserving families was smoothly continued in Punjab province.—APP
