Farmers warn wheat prices could reach Rs6,000 per maund as shortage deepens 

Pakistan’s wheat shortage is deepening after weak provincial procurement, and the end of the support price mechanism left public stocks under pressure, raising the risk of further increases in wheat prices to Rs 6,000 per mound. 

Punjab procured only 480,000 tonnes against a target of three million tonnes, while Sindh purchased around 200,000 tonnes. Pakistan is also estimated to face a wheat shortfall of 3.5 million tonnes despite importing nearly 3.5 million tonnes worth more than $1 billion last year.

Federal and provincial governments met on Monday for the second time in five days to address the shortage after Punjab and Sindh sought releases from federal reserves to contain rising prices.

Punjab has requested one million tonnes from the federal government, while Sindh has asked for at least 220,000 tonnes from federal stocks held in warehouses in the province, according to officials who attended the meeting.

The meeting, chaired by Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, reviewed the possibility of wheat imports but deferred a final decision until all four provinces submit their requirements. Another meeting was expected within 24 hours as wheat and flour prices rose by 6%.

The shortages in Punjab and Sindh have been linked to the abolition of the wheat support price two years ago under an IMF-related condition without a credible alternative mechanism, as well as the failure of both provinces to procure sufficient wheat from farmers this year.

Agriculture representatives have warned that wheat prices could rise to Rs6,000 per maund if corrective measures are not taken, making flour and bread more expensive for consumers.

In a joint statement, Markazi Kisan League Chairman Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali Olakh and President Muhammad Ashfaq Warraich said the crisis reflected flawed agricultural policies, weak planning and administrative failures.

They urged the federal and provincial governments to restore an effective procurement system, formulate an emergency wheat policy and adopt coordinated long-term measures to protect food security, farmers and consumers.