Meagre flour price cut brings no relief

Dawn reported that flour millers in Karachi have lowered prices for several flour grades by Rs3 per kg, although they did not link the move to expected imports. After the cut, new rates for flour No 2.5, maida and fine flour were set at Rs141, Rs149 and Rs152 per kg respectively.

A miller told the newspaper that cheaper rice-mixed flour arriving from interior Sindh had pushed rates down, with feed-quality rice being blended into wheat. Open-market wheat, however, held near Rs125-130 per kg even as the government plans to bring in 750,000 tonnes of grain in coming months to head off shortages.

Roti and bread prices remain elevated, with naan now at Rs30-35 per piece and branded bakeries having added 8pc earlier this month. A tandoor operator called the Rs3 cut trivial and warned that LPG, up Rs30-40 to Rs400-420 per kg, could offset the saving, while retail flour still sells at Rs160, Rs170 and Rs180 per kg.