Pakistan: Government's flour supply is less than wheat quota

Published 2023년 2월 3일

Tridge summary

The article highlights a significant issue in Punjab, Pakistan, where subsidized wheat and flour are being smuggled and sold at inflated prices on the black market. The subsidized wheat is purchased at Rs2,300 per 40kg but sold for up to Rs4,300, and subsidized flour is in short supply due to high demand. Meanwhile, private flour is priced significantly higher. The Punjab Food Department is combating this corruption and smuggling through forming special teams and checking checkpoints and flour mills. Despite having a substantial wheat stock, the supply of subsidized flour to the markets is inadequate, and the situation is expected to worsen as the current wheat supply may run out by mid-March, potentially leading to further price increases and challenges in managing the supply during Ramazan.

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Original content

The situation has resulted in apprehensions about smuggling and sale of the wheat in the black market. According to sources in the food department, it is suspected that subsidised wheat is being bought for Rs2,300 per 40kg and sold in the market by some elements for up to Rs4,300. Meanwhile, sufficient 10kg bags of subsidised flour are not available at the rate of Rs648 due to high demand. On the other hand. a 15kg bag of privately produced flour is priced at Rs1,800 to Rs1,850. In retail sale, the price of whole wheat flour has risen to a record Rs165 per kg. On the other hand, the food department is conducting checking the checkpoints and flour mills after forming special teams to prevent smuggling of wheat and flour. The sources said the four crisis in other provinces had also aggravated. They told The Express Tribune that 23,000 metric tonnes of wheat was being released from government warehouses in Punjab every day. Yet the citizens are facing severe difficulties in getting ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult