Pakistan’s economic team has stressed the importance of building strategic wheat reserves, allocating around Rs31 billion to safeguard food security amid risks linked to tensions in the Middle East.
Alongside stockpiling, policymakers want to support local farmers with incentives that encourage higher wheat production and reduce reliance on imports.
In a recent meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the Ministry of National Food Security and Research reviewed wheat stocks across provinces and at the federal level. Officials urged timely procurement to meet future consumption needs in line with the National Wheat Policy.
The committee emphasized meeting reserve targets by increasing purchases and strengthening domestic supply. It also advised prioritizing the use of existing stocks held by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation and private sector reserves before turning to imports.
To maintain federal reserves, including supply for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the ECC approved the purchase of one million metric tons of wheat through a transparent and competitive process involving private sector participants.
Officials highlighted that wheat remains central to Pakistan’s food security, rural economy, and overall stability. The crop covers around 22 million acres annually and typically yields between 28 and 30 million metric tons.
