CM orders crackdown on wheat hoarding

June 15, 2026 (MLN): The food department has been directed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take strict measures against wheat hoarding, strengthen monitoring of wheat stocks, regulate storage practices, and stabilise market prices through procurement of indigenous wheat to protect consumers from artificial shortages and price manipulation.

This was issued by the chief minister while presiding over a joint meeting of the Food and Agriculture Departments at the CM House, attended by Minister for Excise Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Minister for Food Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman, Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Adviser to the CM Gianchand Israni, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary Agriculture Zaman Narejo, Secretary to CM Asif Jameel, Secretary Food and other concerned officers, where the wheat procurement position for the 2025-26 crop was reviewed.

The meeting was briefed that wheat procurement for the 2025-26 crop commenced on April 1, 2026, with the provincial government having fixed the support price at Rs3,500 per 40 kilograms and approved a bardana payment of Rs60 per 50-kilogram bag.

A total of 332,090 growers were declared eligible under the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme 2025, APP reported.

Against a target of one million metric tonnes, the food department had procured only 81,348.61 metric tonnes by June 12, prompting the chief minister to direct the department to purchase around 200,000 tonnes of wheat from PASCO to meet the shortfall.

A division-wise assessment of private wheat stocks, conducted jointly by district administrations and the Food Department following directives from a meeting chaired by the chief minister on May 6, was also reviewed.

The survey put total private wheat stocks across Sindh at 588,512 metric tonnes, with Karachi holding 159,577 metric tonnes, Hyderabad 39,244 metric tonnes, Mirpurkhas 4,676 metric tonnes, Shaheed Benazirabad 23,971 metric tonnes, Sukkur 219,760 metric tonnes and Larkana 141,284 metric tonnes.

Taking stock of the situation, the chief minister issued a series of directives aimed at protecting consumers, ensuring fair returns to growers and maintaining food security, including exploring the purchase of 177,040 metric tonnes of indigenous wheat and considering procurement of 200,000 tonnes of wheat from PASSCO's existing stocks in Sindh godowns.

Emphasising a balanced approach, Mr Shah directed the Food and Agriculture Departments to safeguard the interests of both growers and consumers by ensuring farmers receive the notified support price while preventing unjustified increases in flour prices.

"The people of Sindh cannot be left at the mercy of speculators. We will secure our wheat reserves, stabilise prices and protect both growers and consumers," the chief minister said.

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