Wheat, Flour Transport Ban Triggers Price Surge in Balochistan: PFMA

Quetta:Chairman of the **Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA)**, **Badaruddin Kakar**, has warned that the Punjab government’s ban on inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour has caused the price of a 20kg flour bag in Balochistan to rise by **Rs. 800**, raising fears of a looming **food shortage in the province**.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday alongside Haji Abdul Waheed Barich, Syed Nasir Agha, and others, Kakar urged the **federal government** to immediately intervene and lift Punjab’s restrictions in the national interest to ensure food security across the country.

He noted that **Punjab contributes around 77% of Pakistan’s total wheat output**, with the country producing approximately **28 million metric tons** this year. In contrast, Balochistan produces only **1 million tons annually** against a requirement of **2 million tons**, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces 1.3–1.4 million tons against an annual consumption of **5.4 million tons**. “These provinces are dependent on Punjab to meet their flour needs,” he emphasized.

Kakar pointed out that during earlier meetings with authorities, flour millers were assured that the government would neither fix wheat prices nor restrict its movement across provinces. However, since **August 2025 floods and rains**, the Punjab government imposed a transport ban and set up **check posts at provincial borders**, which he alleged have become hubs of “bribery and extortion.”

He stressed that despite official restrictions, trucks are still transporting wheat and flour to other provinces after paying **millions of rupees in bribes**, directly fueling the **sharp price hike in Balochistan**.

Kakar demanded that the **Punjab government** lift the ban and dismantle these check posts, while also calling on the **federal government** to play its role in ensuring **unhindered supply of wheat and flour nationwide**.