Farmers face uncertainty as Pakistan delays wheat price announcement

LAHORE: Farmers in Pakistan are facing uncertainty as the government has not announced official wheat prices as the 2025 harvesting season has begun, 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).

The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has urged the government to announce the support price for wheat for the current crop year. It has asked the government to implement the IMF conditions from next year.

Wheat price in Punjab today

Currently, wheat is available in the open market for Rs 2,600 to Rs 2,900 per 40 kg. However, it is being reported that the price of wheat for the upcoming crop may be between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,200.

Wheat is considered a staple food, especially in Asian regions, as it is a major source of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. It is often used to make roti, chapati and other baked goods.

Wheat crop in Pakistan mainly comes from Punjab province where it has a large share of land.

Reports indicate that wheat production is expected to fall by 3.5 million metric tonnes or 11.1 percent this year due to various reasons.

This situation will force the government to import wheat to meet the local requirement and this could potentially affect the prices of wheat in the local market before the new crop is produced.