KARACHI: Taking notice of the slow pace of wheat procurement across the province, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday directed the food department and district administrations to accelerate procurement operations immediately.
“The current pace is not satisfactory. All districts must activate their procurement mechanisms and ensure that targets are met without delay,” he said while chairing a meeting to review wheat procurement for the Rabi crop 2025-26.
The meeting was attended, among others, by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Jam Khan Shoro, Mukesh Chawla, Makhdoom Mahboobuz Zaman and Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, Advisor Gianchand Israni and Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah.
It may be noted that the provincial cabinet has set a wheat procurement target of one million metric tons for the current crop at a support price of Rs3,500 per 40kg. As per policy, procurement is being carried out exclusively from those growers who benefited from the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme, under which subsidised DAP fertiliser was provided.
Terms achieving of target essential to ensure food security, besides supporting farmers
The chief minister said that achieving the procurement target is essential not only for supporting farmers but also for ensuring food security and price stability across Sindh.
Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboob informed the meeting that against the procurement target of 973,900 metric tons, only 1,061.600 metric tons had been procured, and the procurement process had been intensified.
The chief minister instructed that special focus be given to underperforming districts, with strict monitoring and accountability measures in place.
He directed the food department to focus on supporting small growers who received subsidies on key inputs such as DAP fertiliser and urea, and achieve the target through an extensive drive.
Mr Shah emphasised transparency and efficiency in the procurement process, instructing the food department to streamline operations and ensure timely payments to farmers. He also directed that farmers using their own bardana (bags) must be compensated as per the approved rate to encourage their participation.
According to the district-wise breakdown, Jamshoro showed comparatively better performance with 450 metric tons procured against a target of 23,150 metric tons, followed by Umerkot (122.60 MT), Badin (74.40 MT), Sanghar (63.10 MT), and Mirpurkhas (45.50 MT). Moderate procurement was reported from Thatta (34 MT), Tando Muhammad Khan (35 MT), Hyderabad (28 MT), and Naushahro Feroze (34 MT).
The meeting was also briefed on prevailing wheat prices in the open market, which are influencing procurement trends across the province.
Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2026