20-KG BAG HITS RS. 3,400 – A HISTORIC HIGH

Summary

• The price of a 20-kilogram flour bag has reached Rs.
• 12,500 – PM Flour Crisis Monitoring Cell to publish daily dashboard at 6 PM *Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz:* – Release increased from 3,500 tons to *12,000 tons daily* from October 12 – 80% Government Bag Rule: Every mill must produce 80% as government bags (10-kg at Rs.
• Has the private 20-kg bag fallen from Rs.

AI Generated Summary

The price of a 20-kilogram flour bag has reached Rs. 3,400 tonight across Pakistan, marking the highest price in the country’s history and confirming the systemic collapse of the flour supply chain*

What began as a price fluctuation has become a full-blown food security crisis. Our 11-day investigation across Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta has uncovered a single root cause and ten cascading failures.

*Root Cause:* Against a sanctioned daily quota of 15,000 tons, the Punjab Food Department is releasing only *3,500 tons – 1,500 tons for Lahore Division and 2,000 tons for the remaining 36 districts.*

This deliberate choke has created a daily deficit of 11,500 tons, generating an estimated illicit profit of *Rs. 31 crore per day* and *Rs. 465 crore over 15 days.*

*Current Market Status (9 PM, Oct 11):*
Item Official / Expected Rate Actual Market Rate Status
**Govt. 10-kg Bag** Rs. 1,100 Not Available **Extinct**
**Govt. 20-kg Bag** Rs. 2,200 Not Available **Extinct**
**Private 20-kg Bag** No fixed rate **Rs. 3,300 – 3,500** Historic High
**Private 10-kg Bag** Rs. 1,100 Rs. 2,150 +95%
**Chakki Flour** Rs. 160/kg **Rs. 250/kg** +56%
**Loose Flour** Rs. 130/kg Rs. 192/kg +48%
**Tandoor Roti (150g)** Rs. 14-20 Rs. 42 +200%
Prices are rising at a pace of Rs. 7-10 per kg every 24 hours.

*THE 11 COUNTS – WITH VERIFIED STAKEHOLDER TESTIMONY*

*1. SUFFICIENT STOCK, CHOKED RELEASE*
Fact: Sindh’s current stock is 346,414 MT. After the approved import of 490,000 MT, it will rise to 836,414 MT.

*Punjab Food Secretary, Moazzam Iqbal Sipra:* “Daily release is 3,500 tons. 1,500 for Lahore, 2,000 for the rest of Punjab.”

*Sindh Food Minister, Jam Khan Shoro:* “Our stock is 346,414 MT today. The first vessel of 190,000 MT will arrive on November 5, the second of 300,000 MT on November 12.”

*PASSCO Official:* “The 3,500-ton figure is a finance department decision to save subsidy, not a food availability issue.”

*2. MILLS FORCED TO BUY AT EXORBITANT RATES*
Fact: Market wheat is now Rs. 15,600 per 100kg against the subsidized rate of Rs. 12,500.

*Asim Raza, Chairman, Flour Mills Association (Punjab):* “My sanctioned quota is 400 tons per day. I received only 55 tons from the government yesterday. The remaining 345 tons I am forced to buy at exorbitantly expensive rates from the open market. How can I sell cheap?”