Pakistan's Wheat Policy at Odds with Own Harvest

Pakistan's wheat policy is at a crossroads as the country prepares to import up to one million metric tonnes of wheat, despite having harvested one of its largest crops. This move has exposed a contradiction in the country's food-security policy, where the state struggles to accurately count, procure, store, and release the grain produced by farmers.

The latest Economic Survey figures show that Pakistan's wheat production rose by 4.3% to 29.605 million tonnes in 2025-26, compared to a revised 28.396 million tonnes the previous year. Over the past decade, production has increased by about 15%, but the number of consumers has risen even faster, leaving a narrowing per-capita wheat cushion.

The problem lies not with production, but with public procurement. Unless the government purchases the crop through institutions like PASSCO or provincial food departments, most wheat remains with farmers, traders, millers, and private stockholders. Pakistan can produce up to 30 million tonnes, yet its public warehouses do not contain enough grain to stabilize the market.

The proposed successor to PASSCO, the Wheat Stocks Management Company (WSMC), has been discussed as a new public-sector vehicle for managing federal strategic stocks under a more market-oriented system. However, the transition remains insufficiently explained, and the government should publish WSMC's legal status, ownership, board, capital structure, procurement mandate, storage arrangements, audit framework, and authority to release stocks.