Former Prime Minister’s advisor and lawmaker Mahmood Moulvi issued a stark warning on Monday against exporting wheat following a bumper crop, cautioning that such a move could escalate flour prices within the country.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Moulvi disclosed that certain hoarders were lobbying the government to permit wheat exports. He emphasized that exporting wheat at this juncture would likely drive up domestic flour prices significantly.
Moulvi underscored that allowing wheat exports could revert wheat and flour prices back to the levels seen a few months prior. He projected that the current price of flour, which ranges from Rs 90 to Rs 95 per kg, could surge to between Rs 150 and Rs 175 per kg. Stressing the importance of public interest, he urged the government to refrain from such actions.
Highlighting the significance of agriculture in Pakistan, which constitutes nearly 23 percent of the GDP, Moulvi noted that wheat alone contributes 2 percent to the economy. He pointed out that Pakistan faced a wheat shortage in early 2023 due to the impact of devastating floods in 2022, resulting in a shortfall despite the country’s annual consumption of around 30 million tons of wheat.
