Recurrent food crisis

Did you hear about the recent milk price hike? Milk sellers have increased prices from Rs118 to Rs200 per litre in Karachi. Mind you that the price increase has come ahead of winter. So you can imagine how much pricier milk could be in next summer. Before this, prices of tandoori roti and chapati rose Rs2-5. According to a Dawn report, in most neighbourhoods of the metropolis, tandoori roti is selling for Rs20-25 and chapati for Rs18-20. Even before that, branded bakery bread prices had also increased. Now, large, medium, small and mini bakery bread sells for Rs200, Rs150, Rs110 and Rs70, respectively. All kinds of bread have become pricier because wheat flour prices have increased. Currently, wheat flour in Karachi sells for Rs120-Rs125 per kg, depending on the brand. Towards the end of September, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research told the nation that Pakistan had 8.664 million tonnes of strategic wheat reserves. Considering a lower-than-expected wheat output in the next year, the government had decided to import 3m tonnes of wheat. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said last week that the private sector would not be allowed to import the commodity because of the ongoing foreign exchange crisis. The State Bank of Pakistan has only about $7.6 billion in reserves, equal to less than one and a half months of merchandise imports.