Pakistan Government Hesitates Over One Million Tons Wheat Import Decision

The federal government has yet to decide whether to import one million tons of wheat due to ongoing assessments of stock levels across the country. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research that the imported wheat would cost between Rs4,200 and Rs4,300 per maund.

The minister stated that the federal government prefers provinces to undertake imports themselves with Centre approval. He added that his ministry has sought updated information from all provinces regarding their wheat reserves before making a decision.

Rana Tanveer confirmed that the federal government still has around one million tons of wheat in stock after supplying Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. A summary has been moved to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) seeking approval for another import, while a steering committee has been constituted to oversee the process.

Lawmakers questioned the rationale for importing wheat if sufficient domestic stocks were available, with members urging the government to prioritize local farmers before resorting to imports. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif supports a wheat support price, noting that Sindh procured wheat directly while Punjab adopted a public-private partnership model purchasing at around Rs3,200 per maund.