Govt decides to import 1m tonnes of wheat

ISLAMABAD: To bridge domestic supply and demand gaps, the government has decided to import one million tons of wheat and release the existing stock of wheat with the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to all provinces as per their requirements to stabilise market prices.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research said on Friday that the government had decided to import one million tons of wheat to meet domestic demand and ensure market stability.

The decision was taken during a meeting between the federal government and all provincial governments, he said, adding that the meeting reviewed the country’s wheat stock, pricing, and supply situation in detail.

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The minister said that the government is making all-out efforts to ensure the availability of affordable and quality wheat for the public. He said that the meeting reached a consensus that PASSCO’s present wheat stocks would be released immediately to the provinces.

He said that the meeting also agreed to import one million tons of wheat aimed at meeting domestic requirements and ensuring stability in the domestic market.

An official said that the decision was taken following an increase in wheat and flour prices. In the first week of July 2026, the average wheat price was Rs. 4,611 per 40kg (Rs. 115 per kg), up from Rs. 4,516 a week earlier. Province-wise, wheat is currently priced at Rs. 4,423 in Punjab, Rs. 4,625 in Sindh, Rs. 5,100 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Rs. 4,800 in Balochistan, he said.

According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, wheat was cultivated over an area of 9.48 million hectares, compared to 9.07 million hectares last year, reflecting an increase of 4.4 percent. Wheat production increased by 4.3 percent to 29.61 million tons compared with 28.40 million tons last year supported by an expansion in area sown.

According to provincial governments’ estimates presented during the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) meeting held in April this year, wheat output is projected to show a 1.24 percent decrease against the target set for the 2025-26

According to provincial estimates, of the total projected wheat output of 29.31 million tons, Punjab has produced 22.040 million tons, Sindh 4.402 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1.411 million tons, and Balochistan 1.450 million tons.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026