KARACHI: The ongoing wheat and flour crisis in Karachi shows no signs of easing, raising fresh concerns for consumers already burdened by rising food costs.
Despite official assurances and the availability of government wheat stocks, market players warn that structural delays and quality issues are quietly pushing flour prices beyond the reach of ordinary households.
Chairman of the Flour Mills Association, the government-supplied wheat currently reaching mills lacks adequate nutritional quality. So far, the millers are compelled to blend older official wheat with newly procured grain to produce market-ready flour.
This process, he says, significantly increases costs, making the final product unaffordable for many consumers. Furthermore, the situation has been further complicated by delays in the supply of government wheat to flour mills across Karachi.
These disruptions, industry representatives argue, have tightened supply chains and created fresh uncertainty in both wholesale and retail markets. Junaid confirmed that detailed concerns regarding delayed wheat deliveries have already been communicated to the Karachi Commissioner.
The Flour Mills Association has also held discussions with the DIG Traffic to ensure smoother and more timely transportation of wheat consignments.
However, the impact of these efforts has yet to reflect on market prices. Industry sources note that old government wheat is priced at Rs80 per kilogram, while newly added wheat costs around Rs110 per kilogram an imbalance that continues to fuel upward pressure on flour rates.
Meanwhile, wholesale Grocers Association Chairman Rauf Ibrahim stated that the Karachi administration is expected to issue a revised official price list for flour within the next one or two days.
Yet, he cautioned that official notifications may have limited impact, as open market prices have already doubled over the past four months from Rs55 to Rs110 per kilogram.
Adding to the uncertainty is the reported movement of wheat from Sindh to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which could further strain local supplies. If demand continues to rise, open market wheat prices may climb to between Rs110 and Rs125 per kilogram. Ibrahim warned that fine flour prices in Karachi could soon reach Rs145 per kilogram.
