Crisis looms as flour prices go up in KP

PESHAWAR: The flour prices have gone up in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last few days, which is leading to a crisis of the essential commodity across the province.

Flour and Food Grain Association President for Peshawar District Waheed Khan said the situation appears normal on the ground but the country was facing a severe flour crisis. He believed that the government would not be able to control the situation if urgent remedial steps were not taken immediately.

“An increase of Rs100 per bag has taken place today,” he claimed while talking to this scribe. Waheed Khan said the price of special atta 20 kg bag had reached Rs1,300 and that fine flour was being sold at Rs 1,400.

A week ago fine atta was selling at Rs 1,250. He feared the price could cross Rs1,500 per 20 kg bag. Pakistan had enough wheat stock and the government should have allowed the market to function as was being handled by the previous government, he added.

The Flour and Food Grain Association officer-bearer said poor government policies were responsible for the flour crisis. “The government created a fear in the market and led to the crisis,” he argued. “In summer one cannot even think of the flour crisis as it could not be stocked in the hot season,” he pointed out.

He elaborated that the prices normally fall after the wheat harvest, but it hiked this year due to the government undue interference. Waheed Khan said the government interference forced the stock keepers and investors out of the flour business and now the government cannot control the situation.

He, however, claimed that the crisis was artificial, saying that Pakistan exported one million tonnes of sugar to Afghanistan last year and announced subsidy on the export of wheat but suddenly the food crisis emerged.

“Our reserve is enough to take care of the country’s needs,” he said, adding that the poor handling of the wheat and flour market in Punjab was responsible for the crisis. He said the KP was a small market and directly impacted by the affairs in Punjab. The government had stocked more wheat this year in comparison to the previous year but could not manage it properly.

“It even waved duty on sugar but the prices hiked. The flour and sugar issues are being handled by several persons in the government which has resulted in mismanagement,” said Waheed Khan.