Pakistan food crisis has reached an alarming level as is evident from the little availability of wheat in Baluchistan and the provision of same at exorbitantly higher price in Karachi and Peshawar.

While Baluchistan is in immediate need of six lakh bags of wheat on emergency basis, Karachi and Peshawar masses too are running from pillar to post to get wheat flour at affordable prices. The price of 20kg flour bag in the mega polis is selling at Rs2,800-3,000  and the food consumers are in a fix as to what to do to make both ends meet. The food crisis is aggravating with every passing day as the old supplies of wheat are running out while the new crop is yet to arrive.

In fact, the new wheat crop is sixty days away. Though the country was faced with sky-rocketing prices for the last two to three years but after the biblical Floods in July and August, the crisis has become severe as   our standing crops were devastated by torrential rains and floods. Sindh crops were badly affected and currently it is also facing a crisis as there are very few areas of the province from the supply of wheat is available and that too in small quantity. Meanwhile, the shopkeepers and the middlemen mafia are also making life hell for the common man as they contribute their bit to high prices of essential items. What is needed is that the provincial governments in respective provinces should alert the district administration to come hard on profiteers and force them to sell commodities on fixed prices. Meanwhile, the inflationary trends are at their peak once again and a latest report says that the prices of essential commodities have recorded a rise of up to 30 percent, which is a matter of serious concern. In this way, the over inflation on the weekly has also touched the same level year-on-year since last month. According to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Inflation has risen 0.48pc week-on-week.  And what is more concerning is that the increase has been triggered by a sudden rise in the prices of eggs and chicken due to the advent of cold weather. Prices of vegetables like onions, potatoes etc are also sky-rocketing. Overall, prices of nineteen essential items have shown inflationary trends.

The short-term inflation as indicated by the Sensitive Price Indicator has touched a record high level of unprecedented 45.5pc in recent months. Latest report and surveys reveal that seventy per cent of the household budget is spent on kitchen items and only 30 per cent left to meet other expenses like utility bills, education, medicines etc. According to newspapers reports, the prices of flour which is a staple food of Pakistan are also going to sky-rocket as retail prices of flour are going to increase further after millers have raised the prices by as many as Rs11 per kg. The new wheat crop will arrive in the market in April in Sindh and till then the prices of flour are going to only rise.

Prices of other essential commodities are also beyond the reach of the common man. Chicken meat is prices are at Rs410 to Rs. 440 per kg, eggs are being sold at Rs300 per dozen, while mutton and beef is being sold for Rs1600 per kg and Rs950 per kg respectively. Pulses, rice and other grain prices are beyond reach of the common man. One liter Milk price is Rs200 per litre, curd for Rs220 per kg, ghee for Rs550 per kg whereas white chickpeas are being sold at Rs400 per kg. Though we never lived in hunky-dory times before, but after the biblical floods, majority of population seems to concerned about high food prices and shrinking sources of income. The fact that one in every five people in our country go to bed on an empty stomach is a grave  reminder of rife food shortage in Pakistan.  

The economic impacts and supply chain disruptions along with the biblical floods have  only aggravated the situation.  Now the question is what should be done to control the food woes. The only viable solution to this never-ending despair lies in improving per acre yield, for which we need to focus on our agriculture sector which is the backbone of our economy. No doubts about that. There is also need for handling the wheat stocks in provinces as our country used to see artificial shortage of food items deliberated by the mafias by hoarding the major produce and creating a chaos like situation by not supply them in the market  with a view to increase prices of their produces.  Usually this is done by the middlemen mafia which needs to be tamed with introduction of string of strict measures.

The fact that  annual CPI inflation has touched a record high of  26.6pc YoY in October as compared to a 49-year high of 27.3pc in August last when the country was lashed by rains and floods, is still fueling the inflationary trends and more increased is feared as the economy is on the down trend.  As a matter fact, the current year has witnessed decades-high inflationary trends in the wake of high prices in international commodity prices and huge devaluation of Pak currency against US dollar as also the summer floods. The crisis  was so alarming last month that the government had not other option than to remove duties on the import of some basic kitchen items like the onions and tomatoes from neighbouring countries. The high prices of power utilities like the electricity and POL products have also the other main factors as due to subsiding  of subsidies on electricity as a result  an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the inflationary trends came under pressure, fueling high commodities prices.

On the other hand, the country's current wheat production is projected to be less by more than thirty per cent for next year, posing a serious danger of further aggravating the food shortage issue in the country. Due to various factors, there is a noticeable decrease in cultivation area, high prices of fertilizers, and the water issues in the country.

The government must ensure steps  to control the situation. Ensuring policies to uplift market situation as soon as possible is in the greater interest of the Pak economy. Otherwise, it will add to economic woes by adding to inflationary pressures and making life very tough for the producers as well as consumers. The record-high prices of essential commodities are a matter of serious concern as the common man is virtually unable to meet his kitchen expenses and has been running from pillar to post to make both ends meet.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 10 2023

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