HYDERABAD: Business leaders have expressed serious concern over the wheat shortage in Pakistan, warning that the situation could develop into a major food security crisis by December 2026 or January 2027 if immediate measures are not taken. They have urged the federal and Sindh governments to allow the private sector to import wheat without import duties or subsidies.
Nadeem Ahmed Siddiqui, president of the Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI), Senior Vice President Mohammad Fahad Mian, and Vice President Irfan Arbiani called for an immediate inspection of existing wheat stocks. They also urged the authorities to separate substandard and unfit wheat from usable stocks and ensure that flour mills receive only good-quality grain.
According to Yaser Malik, chairman of the Flour Mills Subcommittee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Sindh’s estimated wheat availability for the 2026-27 fiscal year stands at 4.84 million tonnes against projected demand of 6.53 million tonnes, leaving a shortfall of 1.69 million tonnes.
He said Pakistan’s wheat production was estimated at 27.5 million tonnes, compared with a target of 29.7 million tonnes, indicating a national shortfall of approximately 2.2 million tonnes.
Malik said the Sindh government currently holds 346,414 tonnes of wheat. Even with an additional 190,000 tonnes from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) and 300,000 tonnes through planned imports, total availability would reach only 836,414 tonnes, which he said would be insufficient until the next harvest.
Business leaders urged the governments to announce an immediate action plan, facilitate private-sector imports, ensure an uninterrupted supply of quality wheat to flour mills, and take measures to stabilise flour prices.
