KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday ordered the immediate purchase of 200,000 metric tons of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) and directed a province-wide crackdown on hoarding, after official data revealed that government procurement for the 2025-26 crop had achieved less than nine per cent of its target.

A joint meeting of the food and agriculture departments, chaired by the chief minister, was informed that the food department had managed to procure only 81,348.61 metric tons by June 12 against a procurement target of one million metric tons.

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister also directed the food department to explore buying 177,040 metric tons of indigenous wheat and to enforce real-time monitoring of private stocks to protect consumers from artificial shortages and price manipulation.

He stressed the need for a balanced approach and directed the food and agriculture departments to safeguard the interests of both wheat growers and consumers by ensuring that farmers received the notified support price while preventing unjustified increases in flour prices.

Murad directs immediate purchase of 200,000 tonnes from Passco after officials report procurement of only 81,348 tonnes against a one million-tonne target for the 2025-26 crop

He said that people of the province could not be left at the mercy of speculators. “We will secure our wheat reserves, stabilise prices and protect both growers and consumers,” he added.

The meeting was informed that the provincial government had begun procurement on April 1 this year with a support price of Rs3,500 per 40 kilogrammes and a bardana payment of Rs60 per 50kg bag. Under the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme 2025, 332,090 growers were declared eligible.

It was informed that district administrations and the food department carried out a division-wise survey of private wheat stocks to assess market availability following the chief minister’s directives issued on May 6.

The survey put total private stocks across the province at 588,512 metric tons.

According to the survey, Karachi held 159,577 metric tons of wheat stocks, Hyderabad 39,244 metric tons, Mirpurkhas 4,676 metric tons, Shaheed Benazirabad 23,971 metric tons, Sukkur 219,760 metric tons and Larkana 141,284 metric tons.

The chief minister also proposed introducing storage limits for flour mills and strengthening controls on private stockpiling.

He said that the government would utilise all available resources to maintain food security in the province.

The meeting was attended by, among others, Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Food Minister Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, CM’s Adviser Gianchand Israni, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Agriculture Secretary Zaman Narejo and Food Secretary Ghulam Abbas Naich.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2026