JHANG: Households already squeezed by inflation have absorbed another hit, with flour rising by up to Rs15 per kilogram and the standard bag climbing as much as Rs200.

Fine flour has moved from Rs122 to Rs137 per kilo. The 15-kilogram bag sold by flour mills has gone from Rs1,800 to Rs2,000 — and in the open market, the same bag is now fetching Rs2,050.

The increase compounds a difficult week for consumers. The goods transporters’ strike, now in its fifth day, has disrupted the movement of bulk commodities across Punjab, and disputes over daily fuel pricing continue to feed into freight costs — the mechanism through which staple prices usually move first.

The timing is awkward. The rise lands immediately before the Independence Day holidays, a period of elevated household spending, and comes as banks prepare to shut for three consecutive days.

For a family buying two bags a month, the change adds roughly Rs400 to the monthly food bill before any other item is counted.

Reporter Muhammad Ramzan Mirza