The bakers' community in Peshawar has demanded that the official price of a 130-gram roti be fixed at Rs30, warning that they may be forced to close their bakeries if the government fails to revise the current price.

Speaking to Tribal News Network (TNN), Rahim Safi, Chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Bakers Association, Peshawar District, said that selling roti at the existing government-approved rate is no longer economically sustainable.

He said the sharp increase in the prices of gas, electricity, petrol, flour and other operational expenses has made it increasingly difficult for bakers to continue running their tandoors. He added that the district administration has already been informed of these concerns.

Safi said the government is fully aware of the continuous rise in flour prices and argued that fixing the price of a 130-gram roti at Rs30 is the only way to provide meaningful relief to the baking community.

He also highlighted the difficult working conditions faced by bakers, saying they spend long hours working in front of intensely hot tandoors, particularly during the summer months. "If a baker endures such demanding conditions and still cannot earn a reasonable profit, there is little incentive to keep the business running," he said.

According to Safi, the price of an 80-kilogram bag of super fine flour has increased to Rs13,000, while a bag of fine flour now costs Rs12,000. A 20-kilogram bag of super fine flour has reached Rs3,100, yet roti continues to be sold at outdated official rates.

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He said the association recently conducted a detailed cost assessment of a small bakery, which revealed that after accounting for all operating expenses, the business was running at a loss. He added that if a small bakery is unable to remain profitable, larger tandoors with higher overhead costs are facing even greater financial pressure.

Last week, a delegation of the association met the Deputy Commissioner of Peshawar and pointed out that rotis weighing 100 grams, 110 grams and 160 grams are currently being sold in different parts of the city. The delegation urged the authorities to introduce a uniform policy on both the weight and price of roti.

Safi said the Deputy Commissioner referred the matter to the Rationing Controller and directed officials to conduct a survey. However, the association remains firm in its demand that the price of a 130-gram roti be fixed at Rs30 to reflect rising production costs.

He further said that bakers across the city are putting increasing pressure on the association to secure a practical solution. He warned that if the government does not revise the official price in the coming days, bakers will have no option but to shut down their businesses.

Meanwhile, 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.

According to the department, wheat will be supplied at Rs11,200 per 100 kilograms, with distribution to be carried out in accordance with the 2026 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and district-wise population quotas.

The department has also made it mandatory for all operational flour mills to install CCTV cameras with a minimum recording capacity of 30 days. It warned that strict legal action will be taken against any mill found violating the approved SOPs.