The federal and provincial governments have intensified efforts to tackle Pakistan’s growing wheat crisis by holding their second high-level meeting within five days. The discussions focused on addressing supply concerns after Punjab and Sindh requested emergency wheat releases from federal reserves to control increasing market prices.
The meeting, chaired by Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, also considered the possibility of importing wheat. However, officials decided to postpone any final decision until all provinces submit their complete estimates of wheat requirements.
Punjab has requested one million tonnes of wheat from federal reserves, while Sindh has sought at least 220,000 tonnes currently stored in Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) warehouses located within the province.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa requested approximately 100,000 tonnes for government distribution and another 700,000 tonnes for the private sector. During the meeting, Sindh also urged Punjab to remove restrictions on inter-provincial wheat transportation. Punjab declined the request, citing concerns about maintaining its own supply levels.
The shortage has surprised many because Pakistan produced around 29.8 million tonnes of wheat this year. Officials believe the crisis resulted from the removal of the wheat support price under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program without introducing a replacement procurement system. They also pointed to the limited wheat purchases made by Punjab and Sindh during the harvesting season.
Punjab managed to procure only 480,000 tonnes against its target of three million tonnes, while Sindh purchased slightly more than 200,000 tonnes. Officials also expressed concern over nearly four million tonnes of wheat in Punjab that is believed to have been hoarded and remains unaccounted for.
Authorities warned that fulfilling provincial requests from PASSCO’s current stock of 1.7 million tonnes would significantly reduce federal reserves. As a result, Pakistan may eventually need to import between 500,000 and one million tonnes of wheat to maintain strategic reserves if domestic supplies remain under pressure.
Although officials stated there is no immediate nationwide shortage, wheat prices have continued to climb across the country. Flour prices have also increased in major cities, adding further pressure on consumers.
The federal government has assured provinces that PASSCO will continue supplying wheat under existing agreements while authorities coordinate efforts to stabilize the market, control prices, and ensure a steady supply of wheat across Pakistan.
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