Punjab denies shortage of wheat
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari on Wednesday dismissed reports of a wheat shortage in the province, insisting that sufficient stocks were available.
Addressing the media, she termed the news of scarcity "baseless," stressing that wheat was the "trust" of the people of Punjab. "Protecting stocks in government warehouses, flour mills, and private storage is the responsibility of the officials concerned," she added.
Bukhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had taken strict notice of wheat wastage in Khanewal, suspending the provincial food secretary, the director general of food, and the local staff involved.
She warned that no one would be allowed to exploit the situation by raising flour or bread prices under the pretext of floods. The chief minister, she said, had given all flour mills, middlemen, and stockists a three-day deadline to declare their wheat holdings.
"If any mill or stockist fails to declare stocks within three days, strict action will be taken," the minister cautioned.
Bukhari added that profiteers and hoarders would be sent behind bars for illegal stockpiling and profiteering.
National Wheat Policy
Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Wednesday chaired a meeting to deliberate on the contours of the National Wheat Policy and Wheat Management Strategy for 2025/26 and the coming years.
The new roadmap will serve as a long-term plan to ensure food security, safeguard farmers' livelihoods, protect consumers, and build resilience against market disruptions and climate-induced emergencies.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that wheat is not just a staple crop but a lifeline for millions of Pakistanis. He emphasized that fairness and sustainability will be the guiding principles of the new wheat policy.
Farmers, he stated, must receive prices aligned with international market trends to encourage greater production, while middle-class and above-poverty-line consumers will pay market-based rates.
For low-income groups, the government will provide relief through subsidies and other supportive measures, carefully balancing fiscal responsibilities between the federation and the provinces.
The minister further noted that strategic reserves will be managed prudently and stored in modern grain silos rather than traditional facilities to protect wheat from climatic risks and quality loss.
He stressed that the federal government's role would focus on managing national reserves, supporting poor households through subsidies, ensuring wheat quality assurance, and improving efficiencies in the supply chain.
He added that research and development for climate-resilient and high-yield wheat varieties, farmer welfare initiatives, and modern storage systems would be central to the policy.
The minister also highlighted the public health dimension of wheat management. With more than 30 percent of women and children suffering from zinc, iron, and vitamin deficiencies, he said, Pakistan must adopt long-term solutions to tackle malnutrition and stunting. Instead of relying solely on supplements, the policy will encourage multi-grain flour, promote wheat fortification, and incentivize proper storage practices to preserve nutritional value.