Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial food department and district administrations to launch a strict crackdown on wheat hoarding and profiteering, warning that the government will not tolerate artificial shortages as the province prepares for its wheat requirements in the coming months.
High-Level Meeting Reviews Wheat Stocks
Chairing a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister House to review wheat availability, stock positions and market trends, Murad Ali Shah ordered authorities to identify illegal stockpiles, inspect warehouses and take action against unlicensed wheat traders under the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 2005. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers for food, excise and taxation, agriculture and irrigation, along with senior government officials.
Provincial Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboob informed the meeting that Sindh harvested a bumper wheat crop of 4.8 million metric tonnes (MMT) during the 2025-26 season. However, the province's annual consumption requirement stands at 6.53 MMT, leaving a structural shortfall. Officials said Sindh's total wheat availability, including carryover stocks, stood at 4.94 MMT. After accounting for consumption between April and June and wheat transported to other provinces, the province could face a deficit of about 2.1 MMT by March 2027 if market supplies do not continue.
Hidden Stocks and Price Surge
The food department currently holds 0.2218 MMT of wheat stocks, including carryover reserves and fresh procurement. The meeting was also informed that Pakistan's estimated net wheat balance stands at 24.39 MMT, with nearly 12.2 MMT believed to be held by farmers and households, around 3.5 MMT available in markets across Punjab and Sindh, while an estimated 9.5 MMT remains outside normal market channels. Expressing concern over hidden stocks, the chief minister warned that speculative storage could push up wheat prices.
"The government will not allow hoarders and profiteers to exploit consumers through artificial shortages. Wheat is a strategic commodity, and its availability must be ensured at all costs," Murad Ali Shah said.
Rising Wheat and Flour Prices
Officials told the meeting that wheat prices have risen sharply in recent months. Current prices per 40 kilograms range between Rs4,150 and Rs4,350 in Punjab, Rs4,680 in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Rs4,600 in Balochistan. They added that wheat prices in Punjab had increased from around Rs3,200 per 40kg in early April to between Rs4,200 and Rs4,600, marking a rise of more than 30 to 40 percent within a few months. The chief minister was also informed that returns from holding wheat stocks had surpassed returns offered through National Savings schemes, encouraging speculative storage.
Reviewing flour prices across Sindh, officials reported average retail prices of Rs135 per kilogram in Karachi, Rs131 in Hyderabad, and Rs124 in Sukkur and Larkana. Murad Ali Shah directed authorities to ensure higher wheat prices are not used to justify excessive increases in flour prices. "Any increase in wheat prices must not become an excuse for excessive profiteering. The administration must ensure that consumers receive flour at fair prices," he said.
Enforcement Measures Ordered
The chief minister further ordered the food department to closely monitor wheat stocks, enforce licensing requirements for wheat storage and trading, strengthen border surveillance to prevent unauthorized movement of wheat, ensure regular market supplies and expedite proposals to fix stock limits for flour mills. The meeting also considered a proposal to treat wheat seized from illegal hoarders as government-procured stock and transfer it to official warehouses, with owners to be compensated at Rs3,500 per 40 kilograms. Concluding the meeting, Murad Ali Shah directed all relevant departments to maintain close coordination and regularly submit reports on wheat stocks, prices and market conditions.
