NA body seeks Rs5,000 wheat support price for Rabi season

According to Dawn, a National Assembly standing committee has urged the government to set a wheat support price of Rs5,000 for every 40kg or more in the 2026-27 Rabi season. The panel, chaired by Syed Tariq Hussain, met on Thursday and also called for a single subsidy system applicable to farmers in all provinces. Its members argued that timely decisions matter, because late choices after sowing would offer farmers little practical benefit.

The committee also asked the Ministry of National Food Security to complete the National Wheat Policy for 2026 to 2030 before sowing begins. Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain told the panel that consultations with provincial governments would take place within a week, with the policy to be announced ahead of the sowing season. Lawmakers noted differing provincial approaches, including a Kissan Card under consideration in Punjab, Sindh's aid for farmers holding up to 25 acres, and an in-kind subsidy of Rs5,000 planned by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Members also raised concerns about storage and marketing after the closure of Passco, with private storage often requiring advance payments, and they flagged high fertiliser costs. The committee further called for steps to lower production costs and expand rice export markets, noting a good rice crop is expected this year.