Sindh to face 2.11m-tonne wheat shortfall by March 2027

CM orders steps to secure supplies, intensify crackdown on hoarders

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday ordered authorities to intensify the crackdown on wheat hoarders and profiteers, directing the Food Department to ensure additional wheat supplies to bridge a projected shortfall of 2.11 million metric tonnes by March 2027.

Chairing a high-level meeting at the CM House to review wheat stocks, market availability, consumption trends and future requirements, Murad said wheat is a strategic commodity directly linked to food security and public welfare, warning that negligence in maintaining adequate reserves and stabilising prices would not be tolerated. Officials informed the meeting that more than 172,000 metric tonnes of concealed wheat had been recovered during anti-hoarding operations, improving market availability and contributing to a decline in flour prices across the province.

The Food Department was directed to ensure uninterrupted supplies of wheat and flour throughout Sindh and take all necessary measures to prevent artificial shortages and market manipulation. The meeting was told that despite wheat production of 4.7 million metric tonnes during 2025-26 and a carryover stock of 140,000 metric tonnes from the previous year, Sindh is expected to face a shortage of around 2.11 million metric tonnes by March 2027 due to consumption needs and the movement of wheat outside the province.

According to the Food Department, total wheat availability for 2026-27 stands at 4.84 million metric tonnes, comprising 4.7 million metric tonnes of current production and 140,000 metric tonnes of carryover stock.

Officials said that by July 15, 2026, around 2.6 million metric tonnes of wheat had either been consumed or moved out of the system, including 1.9 million metric tonnes for human consumption, 500,000 metric tonnes transported outside Sindh and 200,000 metric tonnes reserved as seed for the next sowing season, leaving an estimated 2.24 million metric tonnes in the province.

However, only 1.23 million metric tonnes were currently visible in the supply chain, including 81,812 metric tonnes held by the Food Department, 172,020 metric tonnes recovered during enforcement operations, 480,000 metric tonnes with flour mills and 500,000 metric tonnes retained by farmers for personal use.

Murad pointed out that nearly 610,000 metric tonnes of wheat remained unaccounted for and could potentially be hidden by hoarders or withheld from the market. He directed the Food Department to accelerate enforcement operations to recover concealed stocks.

The meeting was informed that the Food Department currently possesses a total of 393,832 metric tonnes of wheat, including carryover stocks, wheat procured during the current season and wheat recovered during anti-hoarding operations, which has helped reduce flour prices.

Officials estimated that Sindh would require approximately 4.35 million metric tonnes of wheat between July 15, 2026 and March 15, 2027. Against available stocks of 2.24 million metric tonnes, the province is expected to face a deficit of 2.11 million metric tonnes.