ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has urged private seed companies to reduce wheat seed prices to make them more affordable for farmers ahead of the Rabi sowing season, which begins in the coming weeks.
National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain chaired a meeting on Wednesday with representatives of private seed companies and the National Seed Development and Regulatory Authority (NSDRA) to discuss wheat seed prices and inter-provincial movement.
The meeting focused on facilitating farmers through lower seed costs and uninterrupted supply across provinces, supporting timely wheat sowing and national food security, according to a press release.
Low use of certified wheat seed is a major challenge to wheat production, and the government is promoting climate-resilient, high-yielding and disease-resistant wheat varieties through strengthened research and seed multiplication programmes, the minister observed, while maintaining that enhanced availability and timely supply of quality seed was highly essential.
Timely access to affordable seed is particularly important for small farmers, whose purchasing decisions are affected by the combined costs of seed, fertiliser, irrigation and other agricultural inputs, the minister emphasised.
Mr Hussain directed NSDRA to ensure the smooth inter-provincial movement of wheat seed. Coordination with provincial authorities and seed suppliers will be key to addressing movement-related difficulties and ensuring seed reaches farmers within the appropriate sowing period.
A document on wheat seed position for 2026-27 Rabi crops shows that wheat seed procurement availability is 611,793.06 tonnes, which will fulfil 51 per cent of the total seed requirement of 1,191,555 tonnes.
Wheat seed availability in Punjab is 553,008.75 tonnes (67pc), Sindh 40,873.89 tonnes (23pc), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 7,458.62 tonnes (7pc), and Balochistan 10,451.80 tonnes (13pc). For Rabi season 2025-26, total seed availability for sowing was 574,329.53 tonnes (51pc).
Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2026
