LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has warned of a worsening flour supply situation amid rising wheat prices in the open market, shrinking availability of government-rate flour and what it described as unequal distribution policies and rampant corruption within the Punjab Food Department. These concerns were raised during an extraordinary meeting of the PFMA executive committee, attended by elected representatives, office-bearers and a large number of flour mill owners from across Punjab. Participants held detailed discussions on the multiple challenges confronting the flour milling industry, warning that continuation of existing policies could trigger a flour crisis in the near future. Addressing a press conference after the EC meeting, Group Leader PFMA Asim Raza Ahmad, PFMA Punjab Chairman Riaz Ullah Khan, Mian Riaz and others said wheat prices have been rising steadily due to declining arrivals in the open market, while the availability of flour at official rates has nearly disappeared. They said most flour mills rely heavily on wheat supplied by the food department, which is being provided to only a limited number of mills, leaving others dependent on costlier open-market wheat. This disparity, the association said, has made it practically impossible for many mills to supply flour at government-notified prices, thereby eliminating fair competition in the sector. The millers further expressed concern over restrictions on inter-provincial and intra-provincial movement of wheat and flour through a permit-based system, terming it discriminatory, inconsistent and damaging to supply chains. They also alleged that corruption within the Punjab food department has reached alarming levels, claiming that previous records of malpractice have been surpassed. The PFMA leaders said the industry was facing severe operational and financial stress, making it increasingly difficult for a large number of flour mills to continue operations. The Association appealed Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif to take immediate corrective measures. The association demanded strict action to eliminate corruption in the food department and accountability of those responsible. It called for equitable distribution of wheat among flour mills, and if equal supply is not possible, allocation of district-wise wheat quotas on a first-come, first-served basis. The PFMA also demanded the removal of restrictions on inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour. Until such restrictions are lifted, it urged the government to issue daily permits of 10,000 tonnes to functional flour mills on an equal basis. The association further sought lifting of restrictions on the production and sale of 15-kilogram fine flour bags across the province. Other demands included issuance of wheat transportation permits strictly in line with mill-specific requirements to ensure uninterrupted daily operations, and withdrawal of the condition requiring flour mills supplying Rawalpindi and Islamabad to provide 25 percent flour from privately sourced wheat, which the association said was not feasible. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026