Prime minister says wheat available in abundance for domestic needs, vows no leniency for hoarders

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the first National Agricultural and Food Security Council meeting in Islamabad that domestic wheat supplies were plentiful, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. He warned that anyone stockpiling the grain would not be spared, and said the price would be fixed before sowing so farmers are fairly compensated. Dawn reported that the premier also said the final figure would be announced shortly after talks with the provinces.

Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz convened an emergency session over rising flour prices, and the PML-N said a Rs10 billion subsidy had been approved to keep flour affordable. The province also agreed to raise the subsidised wheat quota for flour mills, according to a party post on X. In Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved releasing government wheat at Rs12,500 per 100kg bag from Oct 15 to steady flour prices.

Last month, the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad called for a support price of Rs5,000 per 40kg for wheat, cautioning that farmers might skip sowing if crop policy announcements were delayed. The association said farmers could not afford balanced fertiliser because production costs were not being recovered. Rabi crop targets will be set after the illustrative wheat price is announced, according to National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain.