Govt decides to import one million tonnes of wheat to ease supply gap

The federal government has decided to import one million tonnes of wheat following requests from the provinces, as rising prices and competing estimates point to a widening gap between domestic supply and demand.

According to a news report, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said the import would help stabilise wheat and flour prices across the country.

The decision marks the first official acknowledgement of a supply shortage for the 2026-27 marketing year. 

An earlier estimate published on April 29 had projected a deficit of 1.2 million tonnes and highlighted the need for imports.

Read This: Punjab seeks 1 million tonnes, Sindh up to 700,000 tonnes from federal reserves as govt weighs wheat imports

Official data showed the national average wheat price rising to Rs4,611 per 40kg, or Rs115 per kg, in the first week of July 2026 from Rs4,516 a week earlier.

Wheat was priced at Rs4,423 per 40kg in Punjab, Rs4,625 in Sindh, Rs5,100 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rs4,800 in Balochistan.

The average flour price increased to Rs1,288 per 10kg, or Rs129 per kg, from Rs1,268. Prices stood at Rs1,224 in Punjab, Rs1,328 in Sindh, Rs1,356 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rs1,378 in Balochistan.

The flour industry has also warned of shortages, although estimates vary. The Progressive Flour Millers Group has projected a deficit of 2.5 million tonnes in Punjab alone during the current season.

The group estimates Punjab’s wheat production at around 19.5 million tonnes, with a marketable surplus of 30%, or 5.85 million tonnes.

It places the total market size at 4.3 million tonnes, including 1.5 million tonnes for flour mills, 500,000 tonnes held by aggregators, 500,000 tonnes for seed companies, 300,000 tonnes for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1.5 million tonnes consumed during the previous three months.

A separate official assessment projects a national wheat shortage of 2.55 million tonnes between May 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027.

Based on a population of 268.13 million and annual per capita consumption of 115kg, Pakistan’s total wheat requirement has been estimated at 34.33 million tonnes.

This includes 30.83 million tonnes for human consumption, 1.5 million tonnes for feed and seed, and two million tonnes for strategic reserves.

Total availability is estimated at 31.78 million tonnes, comprising domestic production of 29.6 million tonnes and a carryover stock of two million tonnes from the previous season.