By IANS
Karachi : The Pakistani government says it is taking steps to control rising prices of basic food items like flour during Ramadan but mill owners in at least one province say the blame lies at the door of the authorities.
According to the Atta Chakki (flourmills) Owners Social Welfare Association of Sindh’s second largest city of Hyderabad, the provincial food authorities are not releasing wheat in accordance with the district’s wheat quota, resulting in a surge in flour prices in the city and its adjacent areas.
Speaking to reporters here, association representatives pointed out that the food department was releasing only 21,500 wheat bags per week against the 85,000 bags the 235 flour mills in the district required per week.
This had prompted mill owners, each of whom were receiving just 37 wheat bags per week, to meet the rest of their requirements from the open market – and this had pushed up prices, The News reported Tuesday.
“Therefore, they said it had become impossible to continue unhindered supply of flour to (consumers) from chakkis while higher authorities were contacted to increase the wheat quota,” the newspaper added.
According to the mill owners, with the price of a 100 kg wheat bag in the open market climbing to Rs.1,600 from Rs.1,350, it was impossible for them to provide flour at cheaper rates to consumers.
Shopkeepers are selling a 20 kg bag of brown, or mixed flour that in reality weighs only 18 kg for Rs.395 or more. Before the start of Ramadan this was priced at Rs.295. The price of fine flour also varies from shop to shop and has increased from Rs.340 to Rs.400.
There is, however, another aspect to the price rise.
“It was a conspiracy hatched by flourmills who had stocked wheat and drastically reduced the supply to maximise their profits”, Daily Times reported Monday.
“Profiteers have stocked (flour and other) commodities to maximise their profits. Flour, one of the most consumed items, has either disappeared or is available in very little quantity in markets and shops at very high rates,” it added.
According to the flourmills’ association, “abundant” wheat stock was available at the food department’s godowns and they wanted this to be released to check rising prices.
There is yet another aspect to this issue.
The All Pakistan Organisation of Small Traders and Cottage Industries chief Haji Mohammad Haroon Memon says that “millions of tonnes of wheat” was available with feudal landlords and hoarders and that the government should take steps to recover these hidden stocks “so that people could take (sic) a sigh of relief”, The News said.
But then, it is not only the prices of flour that have risen during Ramadan.
A survey conducted by Daily Times revealed that vendors in Punjab, mostly Afghans, had increased the price of tomatoes from Rs.20 to Rs.50 per kg, of onions from Rs.25 to Rs.35, of potatoes from Rs.15 to Rs.30, of green peas from Rs.50 to Rs.100, of cauliflower from Rs.22 to Rs.30 and of cucumber from Rs.20 to Rs.30.
Grapes are being sold at Rs.50 to Rs.80 per kg, apples at Rs.50 to Rs.80, guava at Rs.30 to Rs.40, bananas at Rs.30 to Rs.40 and dates at Rs.75 to Rs.100.
The price of chicken has increased from Rs.70 to over Rs.100 per kg and of rice from Rs.30 to Rs.60. Prices of other commodities like red beans, chickpeas, yoghurt and cream are also on the rise.