The Pakistan Nanbai Association has announced a price hike for bread starting next week due to rising flour costs, following new tax impositions. The price of a 79 kg sack of flour has increased from Rs6,500 to Rs8,700, while the price of fine flour has gone from Rs7,200 to Rs9,000.
With a Rs100 increase per sack of flour, the Nanbai Association has decided to raise the prices of bread, naan, and paratha. The new prices will be Rs20 for red flour (pateeri) bread, Rs30 for yeast white flour bread, and Rs35 for paratha and roghani naan. Shafiq Qureshi, Central President of the Nanbai Association, told The Express Tribune that the Punjab government’s promise to provide flour sacks at Rs6,500 to ensure affordable bread has not been met. He added that this price increase is temporary, and if the price of fine flour rises further by the end of the week, the price of bread will go up by another Rs5.
Qureshi also highlighted the industry’s challenges, including a lack of gas supply and high gas and electricity costs, which have made operations difficult. The price of a commercial gas cylinder has risen from Rs10,000 to Rs12,500, with another increase expected next week.