CM asks food department to start releasing wheat from Oct 1
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, on Monday, reviewed the province’s wheat stock position and the status of seized wheat stocks, directing the Food Department to start releasing government wheat to flour mills from October 1 in a move aimed at ensuring adequate market supplies and bringing down flour prices across Sindh.
Presiding over a meeting at the CM House, the chief minister said that the government’s foremost priority was to provide relief to consumers by ensuring the availability of affordable flour. He stressed that strategic wheat reserves, timely procurement, effective market interventions and strict action against hoarding would help stabilise prices and protect consumers from artificial shortages and speculative practices.
He directed the Food Department and district administrations to accelerate operations against hoarders, expedite the lifting and transportation of seized wheat stocks, and complete all procurement and logistical arrangements well before the release programme begins.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Ministers Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Jam Khan Shoro and Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, while Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboobuz Zaman, Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar, Adviser Gianchand Esrani and Special Assistant Jabbar Khan participated through video link.
Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Asif Jameel, Secretary Food Ghulam Abbas Naich and other senior officials were also present.
During the meeting, the Food Department presented a detailed overview of wheat stocks available with the government, seized stocks, procurement plans and import arrangements.
Seized Wheat Stocks: The chief minister was informed that a total of 226,918 metric tons (MT) of wheat had been seized and reconciled across the province. Of this, 57,122 MT was available in flour mills and ready for lifting, while 169,796 MT had been seized from traders and hoarders holding unauthorised stocks.
Officials said that 25,365 MT of wheat remained under litigation, leaving 144,431 MT available for lifting.
So far, 59,223 MT had been transported to procurement and storage facilities, while 85,208 MT remained to be lifted.
The meeting was informed that the Food Department had already disbursed Rs2.855 billion against the lifted wheat stock.
Reviewing district-wise performance, the chief minister directed deputy commissioners and food authorities to speed up the transportation of the remaining stocks, particularly in districts where lifting ratios remained low. He emphasised that all legally available wheat should be brought into government custody without delay so that it could be utilised effectively for market intervention and price stabilisation.
Wheat Release Plan from October: The chief minister directed the Food Department to finalise arrangements for the release of wheat to flour mills from October 1 and ensure that the supply mechanism remains transparent and efficient.
Murad Shah said that the objective of releasing wheat stocks was to increase market availability, discourage profiteering and provide tangible relief to consumers through lower flour prices.
He instructed the department to closely monitor market trends and ensure that the benefit of government wheat reaches consumers in the form of reduced flour prices.
Procurement from PASSCO: The Food Department informed the meeting that Sindh plans to procure between 190,000 MT and 223,455 MT of wheat from PASSCO, subject to the availability of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) wheat.
Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboob-uz-Zaman informed the meeting that the transportation tender had already been floated and would be opened on September 22, 2026. The department has also initiated procurement of bardana and other logistical requirements.
The chief minister directed the Food Department to ensure complete transparency and efficiency in the procurement process and instructed officials to complete all arrangements within the stipulated timelines.
He said that timely procurement from PASSCO, coupled with the release of government stocks, would strengthen market supplies and help maintain price stability across the province.
Wheat import plan: The meeting was also informed about the federal government’s wheat import initiative.
Officials told the chief minister that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) had floated a tender for the import of 0.3 million metric tons (MMT) of wheat. The tender is scheduled to be opened this week.
The chief minister directed the Food Department to closely monitor the import process and submit a detailed assessment of landed costs and supply implications to the Cabinet Sub-Committee immediately after the opening of bids.
Murad Shah said that wheat imports, where required, should be utilised strategically to supplement local stocks and ensure uninterrupted market supplies.
The meeting reviewed the grinding capacity of flour mills in Karachi and was informed that 96 flour mills are currently functional while five remain non-functional.
Officials reported that Karachi’s 101 registered flour mills have a combined grinding capacity of 424,473 metric tons, with the largest capacities located in Malir and East districts.
The chief minister directed the Food Department to remain in close coordination with flour millers to ensure smooth grinding operations and uninterrupted flour production after the commencement of wheat releases.
Wheat availability position: The meeting was informed that total available wheat stocks, including leftover stocks, current procurement and transported seized wheat, stand at approximately 303,829 MT across the province.
Karachi possesses the largest stock position with 119,534 MT available, followed by Larkana with 61,871 MT and Hyderabad with 54,559 MT.
Officials further informed the chief minister that 130,000 MT of PASSCO wheat and 300,000 MT of imported wheat are planned for Karachi, while additional PASSCO allocations have been earmarked for Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
Addressing the meeting, Murad Ali Shah reiterated that food security and consumer relief remained among the provincial government’s highest priorities.
“We will ensure that sufficient wheat stocks are available across Sindh and that consumers receive flour at affordable prices,” he said, adding that the government would continue intervening in the market whenever necessary to protect the public from unjustified price increases.
The chief minister directed the Food Department to complete the lifting of all available seized wheat at the earliest, expedite procurement arrangements with PASSCO, closely monitor wheat imports and associated costs, strengthen coordination with district administrations and flour mills, prevent hoarding and market manipulation through strict enforcement measures, and maintain a comprehensive monitoring mechanism for wheat stocks, releases and distribution.
Murad Shah said the provincial government would continue taking proactive measures to stabilise flour prices, safeguard food security and ensure uninterrupted wheat supplies for the people of Sindh.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026