KARACHI: The Sindh and federal governments on Friday joined hands to tackle the country’s food security challenges with provincial consultation and agreed on crafting a national food security policy and ensuring wheat support price to incentivise production.

The agreement between the provincial and federal governments was forged during a high-level meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain at the CM House.

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister stressed that fair support prices were crucial for encouraging wheat cultivation, warning that without them, farmers might shift to other crops or face significant financial losses.

“This year, we must fix a support price so that our growers are protected. Only then can we secure food for our people,” he added.

Welcoming the federal minister and his delegation, the chief minister recalled that Pakistan Peoples Party PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had already warned about looming food security challenges. “We must give our farmers a good support price; without it, they won’t grow wheat,” he said.

The federal minister acknowledged the chief minister’s concerns, adding, “Last year, wheat sowing in the country declined by six per cent. The Prime Minister has directed me to meet with you, as the federal government is committed to building strategic wheat reserves,” he added.

CM Shah informed the federal minister that Sindh produced 3.452 million metric tons of wheat in 2024-25, with a current stock of 1.385 million metric tons.

He said the province had held several meetings on Sindh and Balochistan’s wheat needs and reserves, and current estimates show sufficient wheat stock until the new harvest.

The CM warned that the absence of a support price last year had dealt a major blow to growers. “Farmers suffered such heavy losses that some were forced to sell their land or switch over to other crops. As a result, wheat was sown on fewer acres, yields declined, and farmers could not afford fertilisers and other inputs,” he said.

The food security secretary pointed out that 90 per cent of Pakistan’s wheat production came from Sindh and Punjab, where 80pc of it was also consumed. He stressed that farmer incentives were the only way to strengthen food security.

Participants agreed that wheat must not be imported, and instead, domestic growers should be encouraged and protected. They noted that wheat prices in the open market currently range between Rs3,300 and Rs4,000 per 40kg, and support policies should benefit farmers directly rather than middlemen.

The meeting decided to draft a comprehensive national wheat policy with provincial input, focusing on farmer support, better procurement mechanisms, and ensuring strategic reserves.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2025