Hello and Assalam-o-Alaikum!
I hope you are doing well. Today’s story is about something on every Pakistani’s dining table — roti. There is a fight going on between the Sindh government and flour millers over wheat, and it could affect the price of your atta. Let me explain everything in simple words.
What Happened? The Short Version
The Sindh government released its wheat stocks at Rs 12,500 per 100kg bag starting October 15, hoping to bring down rising flour prices. But flour millers have refused to take it — they say the wheat is of very poor quality and not fit for making flour for people to eat. This has created a tense situation, and flour prices are still high. Dawn reported the millers’ refusal, while The Express Tribune covered the government’s release plan. For more such stories, visit our News and Latest sections.
Why Did the Government Release Wheat?
Flour prices have been rising fast and hurting everyone. In Karachi, flour reached Rs 165-170 per kg at shops. In Hyderabad, a 100kg wheat bag hit a record Rs 13,100 in the open market. For a poor family that eats roti three times a day, this is a crisis.
So on October 7, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved releasing government wheat stocks at Rs 12,500 per bag — cheaper than the market price — so that millers could make cheaper flour for the public. The government has about 346,414 tonnes of wheat, plus more coming from PASSCO (190,000 tonnes) and imports (300,000 tonnes).
Why Are Millers Refusing It?
This is where it gets serious. The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Sindh) says:
1. The wheat is bad: Millers visited the government’s Landhi warehouse and found that only about 15% of the grain (out of 1.3 million bags) is good enough to eat. They fear it is four-year-old wheat that was rejected before for poor quality.
2. Their demand: Millers asked the Food Department to separate the good wheat from the bad, so they only take grain fit for human consumption. That sounds fair, does it not?
3. Their warning: Sindh’s new wheat crop will only arrive in March/April. The province needs huge amounts of wheat for the next 4-5 months. If this is not solved, a real wheat crisis could come.
4. Their solution: Allow millers to import wheat. Imported wheat costs about Rs 105 per kg to bring in, which would give consumers flour at about Rs 130 per kg — cheaper than today’s Rs 165!
What Is Happening in Punjab?
This is not just Sindh’s problem. In Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam called an emergency meeting over rising flour prices. She ordered that affordable flour must reach the public “under all circumstances” and approved a Rs 10 billion subsidy plus more wheat quota for mills. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said wheat is available “in abundance” and warned hoarders there will be “no leniency.”
So the federal government says there is enough wheat, Punjab is throwing money at the problem, but Sindh’s millers say the released wheat is not edible. Someone needs to sort out the truth!
What Does This Mean for Your Roti?
Let me be direct with you:
Right now: Flour is expensive (Rs 161-176 per kg depending on type). The government’s cheap wheat is stuck because millers will not take it.
Next few weeks: If the government and millers do not agree, prices may stay high or rise more. If they agree — either by separating good grain or allowing imports — flour could come down to Rs 130-140 per kg.
The real question: how did government warehouses end up with wheat that millers call inedible? Who is responsible for storing it badly? These are the questions that need answers.
My Honest Take
The good side: At least the government is trying — releases, subsidies, emergency meetings. And the millers’ demand (separate good grain, allow imports) sounds practical, not greedy.
The careful side: If the wheat really is four years old and rotten, that is a scandal — public money wasted on grain nobody can eat, while families pay Rs 170 per kg for flour. And with 4-5 months until the new crop, this problem will not solve itself.
What I will watch: whether the Food Department agrees to separate the grain, and whether flour prices actually fall in the next two weeks. Here at Pak Unfiltered, I will follow this story because it is about your dinner table — and nothing is more important than that.
What is the atta price in your city right now? Tell me! And if you want me to explain any story in simple words, reach out through our Contact Us page.
Take care! — Maryam
