KARACHI, MARCH 12: The price hike in wheat flour has made an impact on its by-products like plain bread, rusk, tandoori nan, sheermal and taftaan, making them costlier by five to 17 per cent.

Flour millers, also running bread and rusk business, claimed that they have made an increase of only five per cent in the prices but clever shopkeepers, towards whom the price regulators have turned blind eye, are taking full advantage by charging additional prices ranging between 10 to 17 per cent.

Retailers are charging Rs15 for plain small bread instead of Rs12. The companies claim that they have raised price by Re1 per bread, while large bread price has been increased to Rs24.50 from Rs23 but retailers are fleecing the consumers by demanding up to Rs27 depending on the areas.

"We have made an increase of only five per cent on bread and rusk," ex-chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Shaikh Akhtar Hussain told Dawn on Thursday.

He linked the price hike in these items to the rising rate of maida (super fine atta) to Rs1,250 per 80 kg from Rs900. Many bread and rusk making companies, who do not own any flour mills, have made the increase in the rates quite high as compared to prices increased by millers, also operating flour mills.

Makers of tandoori nan, sheermal and taftaan have also escalated the prices by 50 paisa per nan and Re1 per sheermal and taftaan as a result of increase in wheat flour prices. A tandoor nan now costs Rs3 as compared to Rs2.50 while sheermal and taftaan prices are being charged at Rs10 as against Rs9.

The local markets are facing acute shortage of wheat flour varieties. Rates of atta No.2.5 continued to maintain their peak level at Rs18 per kg but in some areas, retailers are demanding Rs20 per kg.

Fine atta prices were also flying high at Rs18 per kg but its 10 kg bags, which have either disappeared or in acute short supplies, are selling at Rs180-190 per bag.

Akhtar Hussain blamed the shopkeepers for minting huge profits from the consumers since the mills' price ranges between Rs150- 155 per 10 kg bag. "I think that the wheat flour prices will remain under tremendous pressure for another 10-12 days since 50 per cent of mills in Karachi have already suspended their operations," he said, adding that shortage of wheat and atta still exist.

The Sindh Food Department on Monday said that the government has not imposed 144 Cr PC on movement of wheat from one district to another and flour mills are at the liberty to purchase wheat from any where in the province. But PFMA ex-chairman said that the decision has not yet been implemented as only 4,000-5,000 wheat bags are arriving from interior Sindh daily as compared to demand of 20,000 bags.

He quoted the rate of atta No. 2.5 at Rs 1,150-1,200 per 80 kg but in the open market its rates, quoted by the dealer, ranged between Rs1,250-1,300. Consumers' grievances do not end here. Increase in wheat flour rates have made a psychological impact on other essential edible items such as rice and sugar.

The price of Irri-6 and Irri-9 varieties of rice has also surged to Rs14-16 and Rs20-22 per kg from Rs10-12 and Rs16-18 per kg. Sugar prices in wholesale markets have also gone up to Rs16 from Rs15.50 per kg but the retailers are flexing their muscles to cover up the wholesale price hike from the consumers' pockets. Currently, the price of sugar is Rs18 per kg.

It is now clear that both federal and provincial governments are not sensitive to consumers' plight. They still assert that there is "no shortage of wheat flour besides claiming that prices are well under control."

The City government, on the other hand, feels reluctant to check the retailers and shopkeepers since their officials lack any magisterial powers to monitor profiteering and hoarding.

The so-called consumers' bodies are perhaps preoccupied with issues other than defending consumers rights. They have failed to present a strong case against unjustified price hike in various items before the federal government.

Consumers are in a fix as prices of wheat flour, rice, cement, steel products, some vegetables and pulses, milk products, beef and mutton, etc., have all risen in a short span of time. The federal, provincial and the local governments have yet to conduct proper market surveys to ascertain the real causes of sudden price hike.

The DAWN