ISLAMABAD: The government has unveiled a new roadmap for the ‘National Wheat Policy and Wheat Management Strategy’ for 2025-26 and onwards that 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.

Research and development for climate-resilient and high-yield wheat varieties, farmer welfare initiatives and modern storage systems would be central to the policy, Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, said while chairing a meeting to deliberate on the contours of the new policy, in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The minister reaffirmed that the new wheat policy will be finalised and adopted after comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders, including federal and provincial governments, farmer bodies, and the food industry, to ensure collective ownership and effective implementation, emphasising that Pakistan will not allow ‘a crisis of bread’ to emerge in the market.

Rana Tanveer stated that strategic reserves would be managed prudently and stored in modern grain silos rather than traditional facilities to protect wheat from climatic risks and quality loss. 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.

The government, he added, is committed to securing fair returns for farmers, price stability for consumers, and resilience against natural disasters and global market fluctuations. Pakistan must adopt forward-looking models in line with international best practices to secure its food future in the face of climate change and other risks, Rana Tanveer further emphasised.

The food security minister stated that wheat is not just a staple crop but a lifeline for millions of Pakistanis, highlighting 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, he said.

Speaking about the public health dimension of wheat management, he said that with more than 30 per cent of women and children suffering from zinc, iron, and vitamin deficiencies, 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 incentivise proper storage practices to preserve nutritional value. These interventions, he observed, will directly improve the health of mothers and children while strengthening national productivity.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025