ISLAMABAD: More than 91 percent of the national wheat sowing target for the Rabi season 2025–26 has been achieved, with the crop expected to yield about 29.678 million tons to meet domestic consumption needs and maintain strategic reserves.
Provincial government representatives have briefed the National Wheat Oversight Committee (NWOC) presided over by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain about wheat sowing in the country, an official said.
The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting held in October 2025 had set a wheat production target of 29.678 million tons for the Rabi season 2025-26 from 9.648 million hectares of land.
He said that NWOC reviewed the wheat sowing progress for Rabi 2025–26, the current wheat stock position, and implementation mechanisms under the Interim National Wheat Policy (INWP).
The official said that all provinces have been advised to constitute Provincial Implementation Units (PIU) to ensure effective implementation of the INWP in a coordinated manner.
An official said that a representative of Punjab province, 90 percent of wheat sowing has been completed in the province against the set target of 16.7 million hectares. The province has also witnessed a significant increase in the use of certified wheat seed, along with higher uptake of urea fertilizer, largely due to improved availability and comparatively lower prices, he said, adding that these factors are expected to contribute to higher yields and a bumper wheat crop.
An official of Sindh province informed the meeting that wheat was sown over 3.5 million hectares in the province against the target of 3.6 million hectares.
However, an official of Balochistan province told the meeting that the province witnessed a 35 percent decrease in the sowing in 1.59 million hectares due to less rain. The target may be achieved if rain occurs in January, he said.
The official said that the meeting was informed that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a major portion of sowing has been completed against the set target of 2.25 million hectares, though sowing in snowbound areas is late. Overall, wheat sowing targets across all provinces are expected to be achieved, an official of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province told the meeting.
Hussain said that there is no shortage of wheat in the country, and sufficient stocks are available to meet national requirements for the current food year. He stressed effective coordination between the federal and provincial governments to ensure food security, stabilise markets, and support farmers through timely policy interventions.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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