Senate informed of wheat imports, water management plans

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain informed the Senate on Tuesday that Pakistan has imported 6.187 MMT of wheat over the last two years.

In a written reply to a question from Senator Falk Naz, the federal minister said that 2.6 MMT of wheat was imported in 2022-23 and 3.587 MMT in 2023-24.

Rana Tanveer Hussain explained that in 2022-23, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan had imported 2.60 MMT of wheat for PASSCO to maintain strategic reserves at an average cost of US$356/MT (CNF), while the carry-forward stock was reported at 1.84 MMT.

He said that in 2023-24, both the public and private sectors were allowed to import wheat. The private sector had imported 3.587 MMT at an average cost of US$ 280/MT (CNF), and the carry-forward stocks reported by the provincial food departments stood at 1.63 MMT.

During the Question-Hour session in the Senate, the minister mentioned that the government would consider the proposal to create zones for different crops to better manage water resources. Responding to a question from Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Rana Tanveer Hussain said the government is implementing various measures to minimise water use for different crops, considering the ongoing water shortages. He noted that the crop of sugarcane consumes a significant amount of water and suggested it should not be overly cultivated. However, he clarified that the government has not issued any directive to stop sugarcane cultivation in specific areas. The minister assured that there is a surplus of sugarcane, so there should be no concern about sugar scarcity.