Pakistan plans to build wheat reserves of up to 6 mln tons, considers additional imports

Pakistan’s government plans to maintain strategic wheat reserves of up to 6 mln tons to ensure stable supplies to the domestic market and prevent potential shortages. Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain said existing stocks were sufficient to meet domestic demand this year. At the same time, the government is considering additional wheat imports depending on the requirements of individual provinces.

According to the minister, more than 1.3 mln tons of wheat have already been released to the provinces from stocks held by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO). In addition, the government could arrange imports of up to 550 thsd tons of wheat if domestic market conditions require additional supplies. Authorities emphasized that maintaining strategic reserves would help ensure uninterrupted wheat availability and protect the market against potential supply disruptions.

To support domestic production, Pakistan’s government has set the indicative wheat procurement price for 2027 at PKR 4,500 per 40 kg, up PKR 1,000 from the previous year. The decision followed consultations with provincial governments. According to the minister, imported wheat would cost approximately the same amount, making purchases from local farmers the government’s preferred option.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s domestic wheat market has recently experienced rising prices. The minister described the increase as artificial and he said adequate government stocks should help stabilize prices in the coming days. The government will continue monitoring market developments and taking measures to prevent artificial shortages and unjustified price increases.

The higher indicative procurement price is also expected to encourage farmers to increase wheat production next season. The government believes more stable farm incomes could support higher output and enable Pakistan to resume wheat exports in 2027. However, these plans will depend on the next harvest, domestic demand and the establishment of sufficient strategic reserves.

Tags: Pakistan, wheat, imports