Wheat Reserves Exhausted in Balochistan; Buying Expensive Wheat From Open Market and Selling Cheap Flour Is Impossible: Flour Mills Association

Quetta (Daily Qudrat Quetta) — Pakistan Flour Mills Association Balochistan Region Chairman Abdul Wahid Barrech, while condemning the recent raids and arrests of flour sellers by the administration, has said that under the current circumstances it is not possible for flour mill owners to immediately reduce flour prices, because local wheat reserves in Balochistan have almost been exhausted and flour mills are being forced to buy wheat at high prices from the open market.

In a statement, Abdul Wahid Barrech said that there is a ban on bringing wheat to Balochistan from Punjab, while difficulties are also being faced in the transport of wheat from Sindh. The wheat that reaches Balochistan through various means is stopped at various check posts, and allegedly heavy expenses have to be borne, which further increases the cost of wheat.

He said that the price of flour is determined according to the price at which flour mill owners buy wheat from the open market. Flour mills have no such authority or formula to suddenly reduce flour prices despite wheat becoming expensive in the market.

Abdul Wahid Barrech said that if the government wants to provide cheap flour to the people, it should procure wheat from its official reserves or PASSCO and provide it to flour mills through the Food Department. If cheap wheat is available at the official level, then cheap flour can be prepared from it and relief can be given to the people.

He said that at present, wheat prices in Balochistan are basically running under the open market, while due to the province’s current situation, transport problems, road closures, and anxiety among drivers, wheat transport is also being affected.

The Chairman of the Flour Mills Association said that flour mill owners are procuring wheat from other provinces on a self-help basis so that the wheat supply chain remains intact and, God forbid, this route does not close in the coming days as well.

He demanded that the provincial government, just as other provinces have demanded wheat supply from the federal government, should also immediately request wheat from the federation and procure cheap wheat at the official level to provide relief to the people in flour prices.

Abdul Wahid Barrech further said that there should be no restriction on the free movement of wheat in Balochistan. However, despite this, complaints continue to surface of vehicles bringing wheat being stopped at various check posts and allegedly extra money being collected, which further increases the overall cost of wheat.

It may be recalled that the local food departments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are providing relief to the people, not the open market.