The federal government has approved the National Wheat Policy 2025-26, aimed at ensuring fair prices for farmers, maintaining strategic reserves, and safeguarding farmers’ interests.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on the new wheat policy, which was attended by the chief ministers of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan, the representative of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and other relevant stakeholders.

Speaking at the meeting, the prime minister said Pakistan is an agricultural economy, and wheat holds vital importance as it is not only a staple food for the people but also a major source of income for farmers.

He said the government is fully aware of the problems faced by farmers and is taking all possible steps for their welfare, describing them as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

Shehbaz Sharif stated that the federal government formulated the policy after an extensive consultative process with all stakeholders — including provincial governments, farmers’ associations, industrialists, and growers — and is now announcing the National Wheat Policy 2025-26 based on consensus.

“The policy aims to protect public interests while ensuring farmers’ profitability,” the prime minister said, appreciating the cooperation of provincial governments in preparing the consensus-based policy.

He expressed hope that the new policy would promote agricultural growth, increase farmers’ income, and play a vital role in ensuring national food security.

Participants were briefed on the salient features of the policy.

It was informed that the federal and provincial governments will procure around 6.2 million tonnes of strategic wheat reserves from the 2025-26 crop.

The procurement price will be set at Rs3,500 per 40 kilograms, aligned with international import parity.

Officials said the measure would ensure fair pricing and profitability for farmers while maintaining market competitiveness.

The policy will also allow unrestricted inter-provincial movement of wheat to ensure availability across the country.

It was further briefed that the federal minister for national food security will chair a national committee overseeing wheat monitoring.

The committee will include representatives from all provinces and will supervise the implementation and coordination of policy measures.

The committee will meet weekly and report directly to the prime minister.

It will also ensure that farmers receive fair prices while maintaining stable reserves for national food security.

Sindh wants support price at Rs4,200 per 40kg

Meanwhile, the Sindh government urged the federal government to fix the national wheat support price at Rs4,200 per 40 kilograms.

Sindh Agriculture Minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar said that due to IMF conditions, provincial governments cannot announce support prices without federal approval, adding that the delay in setting the price has put farmers under severe financial pressure.

He demanded that the federal government immediately announce a minimum support price of Rs4,200 per 40 kilograms.

The PPP Central Executive Committee had also made the same demand earlier.

Mahar warned that if farmers are not provided fair prices, they may shift to other crops, potentially triggering a food security crisis in the country.

He said the Sindh government has already introduced a Rs56 billion wheat support package under the “Grow Wheat” programme, offering a subsidy of Rs24,700 per acre to farmers for purchasing urea and DAP fertilisers.

The subsidy will benefit 411,000 growers with landholdings ranging from one to 25 acres.

The provincial minister said that so far, 132,601 farmers have been registered, with more being added.

Additionally, Rs8 billion has been allocated under the “Hari Card Scheme” for tenant farmers.

He added that 52,993 Hari Cards have already been distributed to newly registered tenants through Sindh Bank branches, and the scheme is separate from the Rs58 billion wheat support package.

Sardar Mahar said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has issued special directives to ensure maximum facilitation for farmers across Sindh.