No wheat shortage in country, reserves adequate: minister

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday said there was no wheat shortage in the country and sufficient reserves were available to meet national requirements.

Chairing the 12th high-level meeting of the National Wheat Oversight Committee, the minister reviewed wheat procurement, carry-forward stocks, demand and supply conditions, and the overall food security outlook, according to an official statement.

The meeting was attended by senior ministry officials, provincial agriculture secretaries, representatives of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), and other stakeholders.

Officials briefed the meeting on wheat stocks held by public sector agencies, ongoing procurement operations in different provinces, and inter-provincial movement aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply across the country.

The committee also reviewed domestic consumption requirements, strategic reserves, and prevailing market trends.

The minister was informed that sufficient wheat stocks were available in national reserves, while ongoing procurement operations were expected to further strengthen the country’s buffer stock position in the coming weeks.

Rana Tanveer said reports suggesting any wheat shortfall were baseless and not supported by official data.

He said coordinated efforts by federal and provincial authorities were helping maintain stability in wheat availability and prices.

The minister directed relevant departments to closely monitor procurement operations, improve transparency in stock reporting, and ensure timely decisions to prevent artificial price fluctuations in the market.

The committee reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting both farmers’ interests and consumers’ needs through a balanced procurement and distribution strategy.