Murad orders action against wheat hoarding in Sindh

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial Food Department to begin strict action against wheat hoarding and strengthen monitoring of wheat stocks across the province in an effort to stabilise prices and safeguard consumers.

Chairing a joint meeting of the Food and Agriculture departments at the Chief Minister House on Monday, the chief minister said wheat storage practices should be regulated and market stability ensured through timely procurement of locally produced wheat. He also reviewed progress on procurement for the 2025-26 wheat crop and voiced concern over the pace of government purchases.

During the meeting, Shah instructed officials to prevent artificial shortages and check price manipulation in the market. The session also examined the status of wheat procurement and stock monitoring measures being carried out by the provincial administration.

Procurement figures reviewed

Officials told the meeting that procurement for the current wheat season began on April 1, 2026. They said the Sindh government had fixed the support price at Rs3,500 per 40kg and had also approved Rs60 per 50kg bag as bardana charges.

The meeting was further informed that 332,090 farmers had been declared eligible under the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme 2025. However, officials said that against a procurement target of 10 million metric tons, only 81,348.61 metric tons of wheat had been procured by June 12.

In view of the shortfall, the chief minister directed officials to examine the possibility of procuring around 200,000 metric tons from PASSCO to help bridge the gap.

Stock survey also discussed

The meeting also reviewed a divisional survey of privately held wheat stocks that was carried out jointly by the district administration and the Food Department. The survey had been conducted on the chief minister’s directives issued on May 6.

Shah’s latest directions focus on curbing hoarding, improving oversight of wheat availability and accelerating procurement as the province seeks to manage supply and maintain market stability.