Growers end losers in ‘flawed’ wheat market reform

According to Dawn, the upcoming wheat season will be the third since authorities scrapped the official support price and paused large public procurement in April 2025, and growers may face their most unpredictable conditions yet. Two years after the government promised a market-based trading model, the outcome has left farmers in Punjab more exposed to price swings and without the income cushion that earlier safeguards provided.

Punjab's April 2026 effort to restart purchases through a private-sector mechanism stalled after banks raised doubts over its commercial feasibility. Aggregators bought just 160,000 tonnes against a goal of 2.5 million tonnes, and prices fell sharply despite administrative action against alleged hoarders. At the Federal Committee on Agriculture meeting held in the opening week of October, Punjab declined to commit to its federally assigned target of 25m tonnes, and the national production target of 33m tonnes could not be finalised.

Dawn also reported that the federal government is pursuing imports of as much as 1m tonnes, a step that raises questions about coordination with domestic procurement and stocks. Wheat prices have climbed 150pc since 2020-21, moving from Rs1,800 per 40kg to Rs4,500 this year, and flour is reportedly priced above Rs150 per kg in urban markets.