Flour Hits Rs3,300 for 20kg in Peshawar as Roti Sellers Charge Rs30
Flour Hits Rs3,300 for 20kg in Peshawar as Roti Sellers Charge Rs30
The flour price in Peshawar has climbed to Rs3,300 for a 20-kilogram bag, a record level that has pushed the cost of a single roti to Rs30 and left households struggling to put bread on the table.
Government-subsidised flour has largely vanished from the open market, and commercial rates have risen sharply in its place. A 20kg bag of coarse flour now sells for Rs3,300, while the same quantity of fine flour costs Rs3,120. An 80kg bag of coarse flour has reached Rs13,200, and 20kg of chokar is priced at Rs1,480. Traders and residents describe the increase as unprecedented for the city.
Roti prices rise as tandoors shrink portions
The pressure has reached the tandoors quickly. Bakers have raised the price of a 50-gram single roti to Rs30, an increase of Rs10. In Khyber Bazaar, Ashraf Road, Karachi Market, Namak Mandi and Government College Chowk, sellers have stopped offering single rotis altogether. Only double rotis remain on sale, at Rs40 each. Residents also report that the weight of each roti keeps falling even as prices climb.
Citizens have appealed to the authorities to act against bakers and sellers who ignore the official rate list and prescribed weights. The Peshawar administration, however, has stayed silent on the matter so far.
Dealers accused of engineering an artificial shortage
The surge has set off a scramble in the wholesale market. Flour dealers have reportedly earned crores of rupees in profit within days by riding the price wave. Allegations have also surfaced that an artificial shortage is being engineered to keep prices high. Law-enforcement agencies have started monitoring large dealers and warehouses across the city in response.
The combination of missing official supplies, soaring market rates, dealer profits and shrinking roti weights has left ordinary families bearing the heaviest burden, with no relief in sight.
Flour price in Peshawar: Food Department cites 417,168 subsidised bags
The Food Department says it distributed 417,168 bags of flour at official rates across the province through 1,611 active dealers last week. Peshawar Division received 101,955 bags, Mardan Division 59,389, Malakand Division 120,737, Hazara Division 38,129, Bannu 12,588, Dera Ismail Khan 41,688 and Kohat Division 42,682.
The department added that 3,000 metric tonnes of government wheat from the provincial strategic reserve is being released to flour mills every day. Through selected dealers, citizens can buy a 20kg bag of official flour at Rs2,520, well below the open-market rate.
Eight flour mills have been fined for violating standard operating procedures. Teams from the Food Safety and Halal Food Authority and the Food Department are monitoring wheat and flour quality on a regular basis.
The strain is not confined to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Hyderabad, the price of 100kg of wheat has touched a record Rs13,100, a sign that the pressure on grain markets is spreading across the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current flour price in Peshawar?
A 20kg bag of coarse flour sells for Rs3,300 in the open market, while fine flour of the same weight costs Rs3,120. Official subsidised flour is available at Rs2,520 per 20kg bag through selected dealers.
How much does a roti cost in Peshawar now?
A 50-gram single roti now costs Rs30, up Rs10. In several major markets, single rotis are no longer sold at all; only double rotis are available at Rs40 each.
What is the government doing about the flour crisis?
The Food Department says it released 3,000 metric tonnes of wheat daily from the strategic reserve and distributed 417,168 subsidised flour bags last week. Eight mills have been fined for violations, and law-enforcement agencies are monitoring large dealers over shortage allegations.
