KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Food Department to immediately start fumigation of the gowdown and start the procurement of the new wheat crop, with a special focus on purchasing wheat from small growers who had received government seed subsidies.
He issued these directives while presiding over a joint meeting of the Agriculture and Food Departments at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Food Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Asif Jameel Sheikh, Secretary Food Abbas Naich, DG Agriculture Allah Waryo Rind, Director Food Allah Dino Channa, and other officials.
The chief minister emphasised that the government’s priority was to support small farmers and ensure transparency in wheat procurement and stock management.
During the meeting, Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboobuz Zaman told the chief minister that over 1.3 million tons of wheat stock was available until July 2025, most of which has already been released to the market, while a small stock of wheat is still remaining.
Taking notice of the remaining stock, the chief minister directed the Food Department to immediately dispose of l the remaining wheat to stabilise the market and create storage space for the upcoming wheat procurement.
Murad also instructed officials to ensure fumigation and cleanliness of all wheat godowns so that the grain is stored safely and hygienically.
Discussing procurement for the new wheat crop, the chief minister directed the food departments to begin preparations immediately and ensure that the procurement process starts without delay.
He further decided that wheat procurement should prioritise small growers, particularly those who had received seed subsidies from the Sindh government.
The chief minister was informed that the government had provided seed subsidies to around 1.3 million small farmers owning between one and 25 acres of land, and the Agriculture Department maintains a comprehensive database of these growers.
Murad directed that bardana (gunny bags) distribution should be carried out strictly according to the verified farmers’ data, ensuring that small farmers receive priority in the procurement process.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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