Let alone Pakistan with a frail economy, there are millions of people globally who cannot afford two meals a day. The global crisis have left adverse impacts on the economy of Pakistan since all the economies are integrated.
Pakistan, predominantly an agrarian economy, is still reeling under the effects of the 2022 floods which affected 33 million people and 1.8 million hectares of cropland across the country. $341 billion worth Pakistani economy has borne the brunt of global economic and environmental conundrums in particular.
With a population of over 240 million and a growth rate of 2.55%, Pakistan’s population is going to pose a tremendous predicament to the already sagging economy with rampant poverty of around 40%, to be precise. Millions of people earning less than $2.15 per day cannot afford two meals a day. Such situations spur restiveness resulting in crime on the rise. Poverty-stricken can’t feed their families since the cost of living in Pakistan has ramped up exponentially.
Fluctuating flour prices in the range of Rs150/kg coupled with inflated electricity bills have rendered millions in quandary at this juncture. People look towards the incumbent government for relief so that one could at least feed one’s family.
In the wake of a burgeoning population, Pakistan has to import wheat. Though Pakistan has harvested a record 27.5 million tonnes of wheat in 2023, yet it needs to import wheat to meet its domestic demand since there is a shortfall of about 2.6 million tonnes.
Tandoor owners have ratcheted up prices of roti to Rs25 and above citing exorbitant flour prices. The relevant authorities have been claiming that there is no paucity of wheat whereas flour mills at times have claimed scarcity of wheat. The government has been announcing the availability of wheat flour in the range of Rs 95 to 125 whereas prices in the market are in the vicinity of Rs 150/kg.
The impoverished are bearing the brunt of skyrocketing prices. Prices have gone through the roof rendering millions bewildered with paltry income.
Wheat being the staple food in Pakistan must be available at the least possible price for the indigent in particular.