Sindh, Federal Govt Agree on National Food Security Policy and Wheat Support Price

Karachi | September 19, 2025

In a high-level meeting at the CM House Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain agreed on the urgent need for a national food security policy with full provincial consultation. The two sides also emphasized fixing a fair support price for wheat growers to ensure higher production and protect farmers from losses.

Farmers Must Be Protected

Welcoming the federal delegation, the Sindh CM recalled that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had earlier warned about looming food security challenges.

“We must give our farmers a good support price; without it, they won’t grow wheat,” Murad Shah stressed.

Federal Minister Rana Tanveer admitted the concern, saying:

“Last year, wheat sowing declined by 6 percent nationwide. The Prime Minister has directed me to work with provinces to build strategic wheat reserves and protect growers.”

Sindh’s Wheat Production

Murad Shah shared that Sindh produced 3.452 million metric tons of wheat in 2024–25, with 1.385 million metric tons currently in stock. He noted that despite sufficient reserves until the next harvest, the absence of a support price last year caused serious damage to growers, forcing many to sell land or shift to other crops.

“Yields declined because farmers could not afford fertilizers and other inputs,” the CM added.

Wheat Policy and Support Prices

Officials highlighted that 90% of Pakistan’s wheat is produced in Sindh and Punjab, where 80% is also consumed. Participants agreed that domestic farmers should be supported instead of relying on imports.

They observed that wheat currently sells between Rs. 3,300 and Rs. 4,000 per 40kg in the open market and insisted that any new policy must ensure benefits reach farmers directly, not middlemen.

The meeting concluded with a decision to draft a comprehensive national wheat policy focused on:

• Farmer protection through fair support prices

• Better procurement mechanisms

• Building strategic reserves for food security

“This year, we must fix a support price so that our growers are protected. Only then can we secure food for our people,” Murad Shah concluded.

Attendees

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Special Assistant on Food Jabar Khan, Agriculture Secretary Zaman Narejo, Food Secretary Bachal Rahpoto, and senior federal officials including Tariq Bajwa, Ahmed Azeer, and Syed Bilal Haider, according to a CM House communique.