KARACHI: After a gap of more than six months, the Karachi commissioner has issued a new price list of various varieties of flour, raising per kilo wholesale price of flour No 2.5 by Rs4 and reducing per kilo price of fine flour by Re1.

The 2.5 No flour is mostly used by tandoor operators.

However, Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) chairman Abdul Rauf Ibrahim claimed that the commissioner had not provided any price relief to the masses in the new price list.

He said the city administration had not taken into account the prevailing rate of wheat at Rs74 per kg in the open market while fixing the new flour rates. “Consumers have been deprived of relief from falling wheat price, which was Rs80-82 per kg six months back.”

According to the price list, the ex-mill, wholesale and retail prices of flour No 2.5 have been fixed at Rs87, Rs90 and Rs94 per kg. Previously, the wholesale rate of flour No 2.5 was Rs86 per kg. The ex-mill, wholesale and retail rates of fine flour have also been fixed at Rs92, Rs95 and Rs99 per kg.

The new rate of retail Chakki flour has been fixed at Rs115 per kg.

The price of fine flour has been reduced by only Re1 per kg, while wholesale fine atta is already available at Rs96.

On June 5, the commissioner had announced the ex-mill, wholesale and retail prices of flour No 2.5 at Rs88, Rs91 and Rs95 per kg.

The official ex-mill, wholesale and retail rates of fine flour were Rs92, Rs95 and Rs100 per kg. However, retailers at that time had sold the commodity at Rs120-130 per kg.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2024