The government has approved the wheat policy for 2025-26, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Sunday, adding that there will be no restrictions on inter-provincial movement of wheat to ensure its availability across the country.
This development comes against the backdrop of the Punjab government tightening controls on the inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour through a restrictive permit regime to curb price increases within the province, a move that has been particularly denounced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the PMO statement, a high-level meeting was held yesterday (Saturday) to discuss the wheat policy for 2025-26. It was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The statement said that a representative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM was also present in the meeting, while Chief Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and relevant stakeholders also attended the meeting.
He quoted Prime Minister Shehbaz as saying that Pakistan was an agricultural economy, for which wheat was of key importance.
“Wheat is not only a staple food for the people of Pakistan but also the biggest source of income for the country’s farmers,” he said, adding that the government was well aware of the farmers’ plight.
He assured that all possible efforts were being made for the welfare of farmers, according to the PMO statement, and further stated that the Prime Minister termed farmers as the “backbone of the economy”.
Chief Minister Shehbaz told the meeting participants that the government had consulted all stakeholders, including provincial governments, farmers’ associations and industrialists, on the wheat policy.
“We appreciate the cooperation of the provinces for this consensus-based policy,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said.
He said the policy was aimed at safeguarding the interests of the people while ensuring profits for farmers and hoped it would contribute to progress in the agricultural sector.
The Prime Minister stated that the policy would result in increased income of farmers and play an important role in ensuring food security in the country.
According to the PMO statement, the meeting was told that under the new policy, the federal and provincial governments could procure “strategic reserves of around 6.2 million tonnes” from the wheat crop in 2025-26.
He added that wheat would be purchased at Rs 3,500 per maund (40 kilograms), in line with the international import price.
“This move will ensure market competitiveness along with fair prices and profits for farmers,” the PMO statement said, citing information provided at the meeting.
He further stated that the national food security committee would head the committee, which would oversee the implementation of the policy. It would include representatives from all provinces and would meet weekly, the statement said, adding that it would report directly to the prime minister.
According to the statement, participants in the meeting were assured that fair prices would be guaranteed for farmers and that the government would have sufficient stocks to ensure their safety, as well as “stable reserves.”
