Pakistan Wheat Import Sparks Debate on Farmer Security

The Prime Minister's Coordinator on Agriculture and Food Security recently defended the federal government's decision to import one million tonnes of wheat, stating that it is a market-stabilisation measure based on international price parity and prudent food security management.

However, this argument overlooks the fundamental principle of agricultural governance: food security begins with farmer security. The government cannot afford to remain neutral between food producers and market forces; its foremost responsibility is to protect domestic production capacity while ensuring affordable food for consumers.

The question is not whether wheat imports are inherently good or bad, but why emergency imports became necessary immediately after the government declared a bumper domestic wheat harvest of nearly 30 million tonnes and total availability of over 32 million tonnes against an estimated national requirement of about 31.4 million tonnes.