Govt opts not to purchase wheat this year

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has opted not to purchase wheat this year following the commitment made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Federal Minister for Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain informed the National Assembly today.

Local wheat production is sufficient to fulfill the national consumption requirements for the year 2025-26; any future decision to import or export wheat will be taken based on the market situation. he added

Meanwhile,  a cabinet committee has been constituted by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to make an inclusive wheat policy. Additionally,  a Cabinet Committee on Essential Commodities has also been constituted under his chairmanship, and it has already met twice under the Deputy Prime Minister’s leadership, the minister stated.

This decision deviates from decades of federal procurement policy, putting the onus on provincial governments and private companies to oversee wheat procurement and supply chains.

Delay in Wheat Price Announcement:

Earlier, farmers in Pakistan were facing uncertainty as the government had not announced official wheat prices as the 2025 harvesting season began, leaving them worried about selling their crop.

Farmers have asked the government to announce support prices for this year so that they can sell their wheat crop to meet their expenses.

They have expressed fear of losses if the government does not release prices, saying: “It will be impossible for them to meet their expenses.”

Earlier, the federal and provincial governments used to announce support prices for wheat to facilitate farmers. However, this process has been stopped due to a condition imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).