Punjab Moves to Discontinue 20kg Flour Bags, Standardise 10kg Packs

Punjab has decided to discontinue the sale of 20-kilogram flour bags and make 10kg packs the standard option, according to reports of a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. A formal implementation date was not specified in the reports reviewed.

The decision was among measures discussed at a meeting on food prices and wheat cultivation. The chief minister also directed officials to tighten checks at provincial borders against the unauthorised movement of wheat and flour, and told deputy commissioners to meet district wheat-sowing targets.

The cultivation drive is to include government-owned land and land covered by the Numberdar, Ghori Pal and Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar schemes, according to the meeting reports.

Officials were also directed to plan stocks of bananas, apples and dates for Ramazan and regulate their sale prices. The meeting approved a “Transforming Market Waste into Wealth” initiative and a produce-dehydration project under the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority (PAMRA). Work on a Mandi Mart in Kahna was also discussed.

The 20kg-to-10kg change is reported as a government decision, but its practical effect on shoppers will depend on the formal order and its start date. The Punjab food department’s public notifications page did not list a new notice on the change when reviewed, while its October 22 Lahore rate list still displayed a 20kg flour price. Consumers should check for a subsequent notification before treating the change as in force.