Wheat flour price has suddenly jumped by Rs220 per 20 kg bag from Rs760 per bag ex-mill price to Rs980 per bag, traders told Business Recorder here on Thursday.
Traders said just a few days prior Eidul Fitr a strike started against the govt fixed wheat flour prices and during the past few days, flour millers kept on increasing the commodity price gradually.
Traders maintained that on Thursday the millers increased the commodity price by Rs30 per bag and took the ex-mill rate to Rs980 per 20 kg.
Traders said a wheat flour bag of 20 kg which was available at Rs810 in retail, was now costing Rs 1000 per bag.
Traders also said sugar millers had also increased the commodity price by Rs 100 per 50 kg bag as prior to Eid it was available at Rs 3,860 and now costs Rs 3,960.
Traders said within past one year the sugar price had jumped by Rs 20 per kg as in May 2019 the commodity was available at Rs68 per kg, which now costs Rs88 per kg in urban areas, while in some parts of the country it was being sold at Rs95 per kg.
Moreover, the red bean price has also jumped by Rs30 per kg in wholesale market from Rs250 per kg to Rs280 per kg, which retailers were selling at Rs300 per kg.
According to the traders, this increase in essential commodities prices is unprecedented, saying within past three months powder chilli prices have recorded an increase of Rs20,000 per 40 kg.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), fresh Sensitive Price Index (SPI), on May 14, 2019 sugar was available at Rs68.28 per kg, which now has jumped to Rs81.33 per kg.