Wheat Board meeting reveals alarming supply gap
A high-level meeting of the Wheat Board, chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain in Islamabad, has exposed a severe wheat supply crisis in Pakistan. Participants, including officials from all four provinces, flour millers, grain traders, farmer organisations, and the Cereal Association, estimated that the country could face a wheat deficit exceeding 3.5 million tonnes. The meeting focused on dwindling wheat reserves and the widening gap between production and demand, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Stakeholders demand transparent import policy
Industry stakeholders argued that importing at least 2 million tonnes of wheat had become unavoidable to stabilise supplies. Representatives from the private sector urged the government to ensure transparency and competitiveness in any import policy. They insisted that import permits should be available to all eligible flour millers and traders, rather than being concentrated among a few companies, warning that preferential treatment could distort the market. The call for open access to imports comes amid fears of hoarding and price manipulation.
Provincial officials highlight dire reserves
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's chief secretary informed the meeting that the province currently holds only around 30,000 tonnes of wheat in reserve. To address the shortfall, the province has already secured 250,000 tonnes from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) after seeking federal assistance. He also noted that Punjab continues to supply over 70 per cent of the province's flour requirements, underscoring the inter-provincial dependency.
Sindh officials reported rising wheat prices due to declining availability and said authorities had launched operations against alleged hoarding to improve market conditions. Meanwhile, Punjab officials defended the province's production performance, claiming it had achieved its wheat output target of 21.9 million tonnes. They reiterated the provincial government's commitment to maintaining affordable flour and bread prices despite financial pressures, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Food security concerns mount
The widening supply deficit has raised alarm over food security in Pakistan, where wheat is a staple food. The combination of low reserves, rising prices, and hoarding fears has prompted renewed calls for large-scale imports. The meeting underscored the need for coordinated action among federal and provincial authorities to prevent a crisis. With the deficit estimated at 3.5 million tonnes, stakeholders are pushing for immediate import measures to bridge the gap and stabilise the market.
