Sindh wheat release set at Rs12,500 to curb flour prices

Sindh wheat stocks will reach the market from October 15 at Rs12,500 per 100kg, after the chief minister approved a release to steady rising flour prices.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah gave the approval on Wednesday while chairing a food department meeting at Chief Minister House. He told the department to begin the release from October 15. He also told officials to make sure consumers actually receive the benefit of the subsidised rate.

Sindh wheat stocks and supplies

Officials told the meeting that Sindh wheat stocks across districts stood at 346,414 metric tonnes. Passco will add 190,000 tonnes, while 300,000 tonnes of imported wheat will also arrive. Once those supplies land, Sindh will have 836,414 tonnes ready for release.

Karachi Division alone held 135,948 tonnes. That figure will climb to 565,948 tonnes once the Passco and imported stocks arrive. In addition, the province has set aside 30,000 tonnes for the Hyderabad region. Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad regions will share a further 60,000 tonnes from Passco reserves. Last year, Sindh released 974,982 tonnes of wheat.

Prices have been creeping up. Wheat in Karachi sold for around Rs13,200 per 100kg, the meeting heard, while retail flour cost between Rs165 and Rs170 per kg. Flour cost Rs160 to Rs165 a kg on October 1, when wheat stood at Rs12,400 per 100kg.

Shah approved the price only after studying stock levels, subsidy costs and market movements. He also directed the food department to watch the market closely and shield consumers from steep rises in flour prices.

Provincial ministers Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Jam Khan Shoro and Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman attended the meeting. Adviser Gianchand Esrani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and Food Secretary Ghulam Abbas Naich were also present.

National targets wait on wheat price

Meanwhile, the Federal Committee on Agriculture could not fix production targets for Rabi crops at its own meeting on Wednesday. Wheat sowing, however, starts within weeks. Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired the session. According to his ministry, the targets will follow the announcement of an illustrative price for wheat.

“We are conscious of the challenges faced by our farmers,” Hussain said, pointing to rising input, energy and transport costs. The government, he added, is working to secure affordable inputs and fair prices for growers.

To secure enough wheat output, the prime minister has set up an eight-member committee to suggest steps for the sowing season. Headed by his adviser on inter-provincial coordination, the panel includes the food security minister, provincial agriculture ministers and provincial chief secretaries.

Water may also be tight. Punjab and Sindh faced an expected water shortfall of 22 per cent during Rabi, the ministry said. The Meteorological Department warned of soil moisture stress in October and November after three months of below-normal rain, although it forecast above-normal rain over the next two months.

On the positive side, officials said certified seed supplies for Rabi would be satisfactory. For Sindh wheat buyers, though, the immediate relief will come from the October 15 release.