Peshawar bakers are threatening to shut down businesses over unsustainable roti rates amid soaring flour, gas, and electricity costs. They are demanding that the government fix a 130-gram roti at Rs. 30 to ensure survival.

The bakers’ community in Peshawar has issued a stark warning that they may be forced to close their tandoors and bakeries unless the government revises official roti prices to reflect sharply rising production costs. Rahim Safi, Chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Bakers Association, Peshawar District, has demanded that the price of a standard 130-gram roti be fixed at Rs30, arguing that the current government-approved rates have become economically unviable.

Safi explains that relentless increases in the prices of gas, electricity, petrol, flour and other operational expenses have pushed many small and medium-sized bakeries into the red. “Selling roti at the existing official rate is no longer sustainable,” he says, noting that the district administration has already been informed of the association’s concerns.

Unlike in India where the roti is made at home, the Pakistani consumers source their roti from the bakers or nanbais.

Rising Costs Squeeze Bakery Profits

According to the association, an 80-kilogram bag of super fine flour now costs Rs. 13,000 while a bag of fine flour stands at Rs. 12,000. A 20-kilogram bag of super fine flour has reached Rs. 3,100. These figures align with recent market surveys showing 20-kilogram flour bags trading around Rs. 2,900 to Rs. 3,000 and 80-kilogram sacks near Rs. 13,000 in Peshawar wholesale and retail markets.

Safi said the association recently conducted a detailed cost assessment of a typical small bakery. After accounting for flour, fuel, utilities, labour and other overheads, the business was found to be operating at a loss. Larger tandoors with higher fixed costs face even greater pressure. Bakers also endure long hours in front of intensely hot tandoors, especially during the summer, yet many report that reasonable profits remain elusive. “If a baker endures such demanding conditions and still cannot earn a reasonable profit, there is little incentive to keep the business running,” Safi remarked.

The problem is compounded by inconsistent roti weights currently available in the city – 100 grams, 110 grams and 160 grams – sold at varying unofficial rates. The association has urged authorities to enforce a uniform policy on both weight and price.

Association Meets Officials, Seeks Uniform Policy

Last week a delegation from the Pakhtunkhwa Bakers Association met the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar to present their case. Officials referred the matter to the Rationing Controller and ordered a survey. While the association welcomed the engagement, it remains firm that only a Rs. 30 rate for a 130-gram roti will provide meaningful relief.

Safi warned that bakers across the city are intensifying pressure on the association leadership. “If the government does not revise the official price in the coming days, bakers will have no option but to shut down their businesses,” he said.

This latest demand continues a long pattern of friction between Peshawar’s nanbai community and price-control authorities. In previous episodes, bakers have staged strikes or threatened closures over flour shortages and outdated rates. In late 2025, for instance, the administration temporarily allowed an 80-gram roti at Rs. 20 and a 160-gram roti at Rs. 40 after similar protests, effectively doubling the price of a standard roti as an interim measure.

Government Wheat Release Amid Broader Supply Pressures

In parallel, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department has approved the daily release of 2,000 metric tonnes of government wheat to operational flour mills across the province. The wheat is being supplied at Rs11,200 per 100 kilograms (equivalent to approximately Rs. 4,480 per 40-kilogram maund), distributed according to 2026 Standard Operating Procedures and district-wise population quotas. Mills must install CCTV cameras with at least 30 days of recording capacity; violators face strict legal action.

The provincial release price is notably higher than Punjab’s rate of around Rs. 3,800 per maund, creating a roughly 18 per cent differential that critics say could encourage cross-border diversion or hoarding. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces only about a quarter of its annual wheat requirement and has long depended on supplies from Punjab. Recurrent restrictions or informal barriers on inter-provincial flour movement have repeatedly driven up local prices and fuelled bakers’ grievances.

At the national level, wheat and flour prices have risen in recent months amid procurement shortfalls in major producing provinces and concerns over overall stocks. The federal government has decided to import one million tonnes of wheat and to release existing PASSCO reserves to the provinces to help stabilise the market. Average wheat prices nationally climbed above Rs. 4,600 per 40 kilograms in early July 2026, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recording some of the highest rates.

Broader Implications for Consumers and the Local Economy

For ordinary households in Peshawar, roti remains a dietary staple. Any sustained disruption in supply or further unofficial price increases would hit low- and middle-income families hardest. Bakers argue that keeping official rates artificially low while input costs soar simply forces informal weight reductions or quality compromises, ultimately harming consumers as well.

The baking sector employs thousands of workers across the provincial capital. Prolonged losses risk unemployment and reduced economic activity in neighbourhoods dependent on local tandoors. Association leaders insist they prefer a negotiated, transparent revision of rates rather than abrupt closures that would inconvenience the public.

Previous rounds of negotiation have shown that district administrations can respond when pressure mounts. The current referral to the Rationing Controller and the ongoing survey offer a window for compromise. Yet bakers emphasise that any solution must be grounded in realistic cost structures rather than outdated notifications.

As the association waits for the survey results and official response, the clock is ticking. Flour prices remain elevated, utility costs show little sign of easing, and the summer heat continues to make tandoor work especially arduous. The simultaneous provincial wheat-release programme may ease some pressure on millers, but bakers say the benefit will only reach them if official roti rates are adjusted accordingly.

Rahim Safi and his colleagues maintain that fixing the 130-gram roti at Rs30 is the minimum step needed to restore viability. 

Focus Keyphrase: Peshawar bakers demand roti price revision

Tags: Peshawar, bakers, roti prices, flour crisis, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, tandoor owners, Rahim Safi, Pakhtunkhwa Bakers Association, wheat supply, inflation, food security,