Shortage triggers wheat price hike

The prices of wheat and flour have been rising in Hyderabad for last 11 days during which a total hike of Rs800 per 100 kilogramme of wheat, or over 11% increase, has been witnessed.

Hyderabad Flour Mills Association, which has been blaming the food department's officials for shortage of flour and consequent raise in price, had announced a strike. However, the call was withdrawn after Sindh Secretary Food Raja Khurram Shahzad called the millers to Karachi for a meeting. The association's president Kanhaya Lal, said at the association's meeting that the food officials are stopping the trucks transporting wheat purchased by the mills from the open market. He added that the officials seek bribe to release the consignment.

The 100kg bag was being sold at Rs7,000 less than two weeks ago. However, the rates kept building up and the bag cost Rs7,800 to the traders.

Lal and other traders expressed fear that if the provincial government did not take action against the food officials, wheat and flour shortage will hit the province. "By imposing section 144 on the movement of wheat and setting up check posts around Hyderabad, the shipping of wheat to the city is being stopped," said Lal.

Yaseen Memon and Nazim Ghouri of the association pointed out that the food department's warehouse in Hyderabad has the capacity to store 500,000 bags of 100kg but the facility appeared largely empty. They also cited reported of storing adulterated wheat in that warehouse.

Meanwhile, four food officials were suspended in Hyderabad on the complaint of wheat trader Rana Muhammad Suroor. In a letter he complained to the food authorities that the officials Noman Qureshi, Aftab Qureshi, Shahzeb and Barkat stopped his two trucks carrying wheat on June 15.

He alleged that the officials sought bribe of Rs50,000 but the sides finally agreed to Rs30,000 which were paid to Noman through Easypaisa in two installments. The trader had also forwarded his complaint to the Sindh chief secretary and food secretary.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2022.