Flour crisis deepens in Pakistan as corruption stalls wheat supply

Sindh [Pakistan] December 28 (ANI): Pakistan is witnessing a renewed surge in flour prices as the Sindh government's latest attempt to stabilise the market through subsidised wheat distribution has failed to yield results.
According to reports, flour mill owners have refused to lift government wheat stocks, citing alleged demands for illegal payments by officials of the Food Department, which has further aggravated the crisis, The Express Tribune reported.
According to The Express Tribune, millers claim officials demanded bribes ranging from Pakistani Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per bag to release wheat from government warehouses. In protest, mill owners have chosen to source wheat from the open market at higher rates, a move that has directly burdened consumers.
As a result, five-kilogramme flour bags are being sold for up to Pakistani Rs 630 in retail markets, while some mills are reportedly charging up to Pakistani Rs 650.
The situation has worsened amid allegations that specific traders newly included in the subsidised wheat scheme are misusing the policy.
These traders are accused of purchasing wheat at subsidised rates and reselling it in the open market at inflated prices, allegedly with the tacit support of officials within the Food Department. This move has angered flour mill owners, who see it as a distortion of the supply system.
In response, the Flour Mill Owners Social Welfare Association convened an emergency meeting at the Hyderabad Press Club, chaired by its president Haji Muhammad Memon. The association strongly opposed including traders in the subsidy framework, warning that such policies could create artificial shortages and market manipulation.
Members stated that any flour crisis would rest squarely on the shoulders of the Sindh Food Department, as cited by The Express Tribune.
Mill owners also criticised the wheat quota allocated to them, describing it as insufficient to meet public demand. They raised concerns about the quality of wheat stored in government warehouses, alleging it was unfit for human consumption and calling for immediate laboratory testing and certification.
The association urged the provincial government to increase wheat quotas, ensure a supply of clean, quality grain, and eliminate corruption in the food supply chain, according to The Express Tribune. (ANI)