By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government approved a wheat policy for the 2025-26 season that lifts restrictions on inter-provincial shipments of the staple crop, aiming to ensure nationwide availability amid criticism from some regions over Punjab’s efforts to control outflows.
The move, announced in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, follows a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday. Attendees included the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with a representative from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister and other stakeholders.
The decision comes against the backdrop of Punjab tightening controls on the inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour through a restrictive permit regime to curb price hikes within the province—a move that has particularly been denounced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Pakistan was an agricultural economy, for which wheat was of key importance,” Sharif said at the meeting. “Wheat is not just a staple food item for the people of Pakistan but also the biggest source of earning for the farmers of the country.”
The prime minister added that the government was well aware of the difficulties of the farmers and assured that all possible efforts were being made for their welfare. He termed farmers the “backbone of the economy.”
Sharif told participants that the government had consulted all stakeholders, including provincial governments, farmers’ associations and industrialists, over the wheat policy. “We appreciate the cooperation of the provinces for this policy based on consensus,” he added.
The policy is aimed at safeguarding people’s interests while ensuring profits for farmers and is expected to contribute to progress in the agriculture sector, the statement said. Sharif asserted that it would result in an increase in farmers’ incomes and play an important role in ensuring food security in the country.
Under the new policy, the federal and provincial governments would be able to acquire strategic reserves of about 6.2 million tonnes from the wheat harvest in 2025-26. Wheat would be procured at Rs3,500 per maund (40 kilogrammes), in accordance with the international import price. “This measure will ensure market competitiveness along with fair prices and profits for farmers,” the statement said.
A national food security head committee will oversee the policy’s implementation, including representatives from all provinces. The committee will meet every week and report directly to the prime minister. Participants at the meeting were assured that fair pricing would be ensured for farmers and the government would buy sufficient stock to ensure their security as well as stable reserves.
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