HYDERABAD: The wheat and flour crisis has intensified in Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh, with the price of a 100-kilogram wheat bag soaring to Rs11,200 in the open market, while flour is being sold at Rs135 to Rs138 per kilogram.
In contrast, the Sindh government has fixed the official price of wheat at Rs8,000 per 100 kilograms and has allocated over Rs80 to Rs85 billion in subsidies to provide affordable flour to the public. Despite this, consumers continue to bear the burden of high prices.
According to Pakistan Flour Mills Association leader Muhammad Yaseen, the quality of government-supplied wheat allocated under the official quota is extremely poor, with excessive impurities and waste.
He said that due to the substandard quality, flour mills are compelled to purchase wheat from the open market and then process flour.He added that due to the prevailing situation, flour mills are selling a 10-kilogram bag of flour at Rs1,175, warning that the crisis could worsen further in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Haji Najamuddin Chauhan, general secretary of the Atta Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association Hyderabad, has expressed serious concern that a powerful mafia has once again become active to create an artificial wheat and flour shortage in Sindh, similar to past crises.
He has written a formal letter to the Sindh chief minister, with copies sent to the provincial food minister, chief secretary, secretary food, director food Sindh, divisional commissioner Hyderabad, deputy commissioner Hyderabad, and deputy director good Hyderabad.
In the letter, it was pointed out that the Sindh Food Department has reduced the total wheat quota for atta chakkis from 20,000 metric tonnes to 10,000 metric tonnes, while issuing daily wheat challans of only 88 kilograms per stone to chakkis, which is grossly insufficient to meet urban demand. In contrast, roller flour mills have been allocated a heavy quota, causing deep concern among atta chakki owners.
According to the association, large quantities of wheat are being transported from Sindh to other provinces, resulting in a continuous rise in prices in open markets across Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur and other cities.
They alleged that wheat supplied to traders from government warehouses at Rs8,000 per 100 kilograms is being sold in the open market at prices exceeding Rs10,500, creating a difference of nearly Rs2,500 per bag. The association questioned where this price differential is going. Atta chakki owners also complained that wheat supplied from certain government godowns contains dirt, stones and straw, adversely affecting the quality of flour.
They said that in December 2025, chakkis were provided 164 kilograms of wheat per stone, but in January 2026, the quota was further slashed by 50 percent. Moreover, the majority of chakkis have yet to receive their January quota, worsening the situation.
Referring to past crises, the letter recalled that women and families were once forced to stand in long queues for 10-kilogram flour bags, chasing trucks, while several people even lost their lives during stampedes.
The association warned that unless immediate corrective measures are taken, Sindh could once again face a severe wheat and flour crisis in the coming days. The Atta Chakki Owners Social Welfare Association has demanded that the Sindh government immediately impose an inter-provincial ban on the transportation of wheat from Sindh, take strict action against alleged black marketing and smuggling, restore and enhance the quota for atta chakkis, and ensure that the massive subsidy truly benefits the people of Sindh by discouraging profiteering mafias.
