Govt to announce wheat price after consultations with provinces, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the federal government will set the wheat price after holding talks with the provinces, according to Profit by Pakistan Today. The aim is to give growers a fair return while keeping it affordable for consumers. He chaired the first meeting of the National Agriculture and Food Security Council in Islamabad and urged that the price be fixed before sowing begins.

Sharif warned that hoarders would face strict action, and said Pakistan holds enough wheat stocks for domestic needs. He stressed fair crop prices for small and medium-sized farmers, alongside better access to fertilisers, quality seeds, modern machinery and water-efficient technical help. Federal backing for provincial farm programmes was promised, and he called farming a key growth sector that could support expansion in the short term.

The council also heard about Punjab's aquaculture, shrimp farming and Kisan Card subsidies, along with Sindh's support services for farmers. Measures to expand halal meat exports were highlighted, and briefings covered Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Sindh Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboob-uz-Zaman also briefed participants, and several federal ministers and senior officials took part.