KARACHI: Following the provincial government’s decision to go hard on hoarders, the food department has recovered over 172,000 metric tonnes of wheat stowed away for profiteering in parts of the province.

This emerged on Thursday at a high-level meeting at the CM House, chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who ordered the food department to intensify its crackdown on hoarders and secure additional wheat supplies to bridge a projected deficit of 2.11 million metric tonnes by March 2027.

The meeting, held to review wheat stocks, market availability and future requirements, was informed that enforcement operations had already led to the recovery of more than 172,000 metric tonnes of concealed wheat, which had helped improve market availability and ease flour prices.

According to a statement issued by the CM House, the meeting was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Mukesh Chawla, Jam Khan Shoro, Makhdoom Mahboob Zaman and Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, Adviser Gianchand Israni, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, and secretaries of agriculture, food and other departments.

There’s no immediate shortage of wheat in province, Murad assures people

The chief minister instructed the chief secretary to further intensify anti-hoarding and anti-profiteering operations, ensure accurate monitoring of stocks held by traders, mills and large stockists, and prevent artificial shortages.

He said that wheat was a strategic commodity directly linked to food security and public welfare, and therefore, no negligence would be tolerated in maintaining adequate stocks and stabilising market prices.

Addressing the public, the chief minister assured that there was no immediate shortage of wheat in the province.

“The government is closely monitoring stock levels and market conditions and will ensure the uninterrupted availability of wheat and flour at reasonable prices,” he said.

The meeting was informed that the province’s total wheat availability for 2026-27 stood at 4.84 million metric tonnes (MMT), comprising 4.7 MMT of current production and 0.14 MMT of carry-forward stocks.

The food department proposed a combination of measures, including further allocations from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation, facilitation of wheat movement from Punjab and, if required, imports to ensure sufficient supplies.

At the meeting, wheat per 40kg was quoted at Rs11,000 in Karachi, Rs10,800 in Hyderabad, Rs10,750 in Sukkur and Rs10,250 in Larkana. Retail flour was Rs130/kg in Karachi, Rs125 in Hyderabad and Rs118 each in Sukkur and Larkana.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2026