Faced with a worsening wheat crisis and record market prices, the Sindh government has announced a ‘Rs58 billion Wheat Growers Support Package’ to assist small and medium scale farmers in preparing for the upcoming 2025–26 wheat cultivation season.
According to official documents, the Sindh Cabinet has approved the initiative to provide direct financial assistance and fertilizer support to more than 411,000 growers cultivating between 1 and 25 acres of land. The initiative, part of the provincial government’s Wheat Cultivation Programme 2025–26, will be implemented through the Sindh Agriculture Department under district-level monitoring.
Sindh Agriculture Minister Sardar Bux Mahar said each registered farmer would receive Rs24,700 per acre to promote timely wheat sowing and enhance per-acre yield. The provincial government has allocated Rs58 billion for the initiative, covering fertilizer subsidies, urea provision, and field-level technical support.
“Each eligible farmer will receive assistance before the sowing season begins so that no grower is left behind due to financial constraints,” added Mahar while talking to media.
A provincial monitoring committee headed by the Directors General of Agriculture (Extension and Research) has also been formed to ensure transparency, prevent ghost entries, and monitor district-level implementation. The announcement comes amid a deepening wheat crisis across Sindh.
According to a summary prepared by the Food Department, provincial wheat stocks currently stand at 1.385 million metric tonnes, while open market prices have surged from Rs6,150 to Rs9,000 per 100 kilograms during the past two months.
The Food Department admitted that this year’s market is entirely dependent on private reserves, as the government failed to carry out procurement during the 2024–25 harvest season. In view of the crisis, the department has formally recommended to the federal government to import 2 to 3 million tonnes of wheat to stabilize supplies and control spiraling prices.
Officials have also warned that delayed wheat release policy decisions, along with hoarding and smuggling, have caused market instability and created uncertainty for flour millers and small traders.
Under the new Wheat Release Policy 2025–26, the Sindh Food Department has proposed issuing wheat to flour mills at Rs8,000 to Rs11,000 per 100 kilograms, a rate that would require an estimated Rs84 billion subsidy to maintain price stability and protect consumers from inflationary shocks.
An official admitted that “in the absence of timely procurement, the province is at the mercy of private stockholders, leading to unprecedented price manipulation.”
The cabinet’s sub-committee has been directed to prepare recommendations for the auction of damaged wheat stock and settlement of outstanding payments to the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
Economists have warned that continued market distortion could deepen food insecurity, particularly in flood-affected and low-income districts of Sindh.
Political observers, including Professor Manzoor Solangi, said the support package aims to restore growers’ confidence and ease rural discontent ahead of the new cultivation cycle, especially after repeated protests by farmers over delayed payments and official negligence. “The government had no choice but to act swiftly, as the wheat crisis had started threatening both food security and political stability in the rural belt,” said Professor Solangi.
Officials said that if executed transparently, the Rs58 billion package could help ensure timely sowing, stabilize prices, and boost Sindh’s overall wheat output before the 2026 harvest.