The price of wheat in Punjab open market has reached Rs4,450 per 40kg. It has been learnt that a 15kg bag of flour is being sold at from Rs1,850 to Rs1,900. The demand for the government flour has increased tremendously with the increase in the wheat price in open market.
The rising prices of the wheat have made it difficult for the flour mills to produce private flour. Some of the mills have reportedly decided to stop flour grinding. The price of wheat is Rs4,350 in Lahore, Rs4,450 in Islamabad and Rs4,280 in Rahim Yar Khan.
The mafia that refines the government flour in Punjab is smuggling thousands of bags into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) every day. The price of buying a flour bag for Peshawar from Lahore has reached Rs2,400; the influential mafia has reportedly started blackmailing the Food Department.—NNI
