The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, has directed the provincial Food Department to begin releasing government-held wheat to flour mills from 1 October, as the government seeks to increase market supplies and bring down flour prices.
The decision was taken during a meeting at the CM House in Karachi, where the chief minister reviewed the province’s wheat stocks, seized supplies, procurement plans and import arrangements.
Officials told the meeting that 226,918 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat had been seized and reconciled across Sindh.
Of that amount, 57,122 MT was available at flour mills and ready to be lifted, while 169,796 MT had been seized from traders and hoarders holding unauthorized stocks.
Some 25,365 MT remains under litigation, leaving 144,431 MT available for lifting. So far, 59,223 MT has been transported to government procurement and storage facilities, while a further 85,208 MT is awaiting transportation.
The Food Department has disbursed Rs.2.855 billion against the wheat that has already been lifted.
Murad Shah instructed deputy commissioners and food authorities to speed up the transportation of the remaining wheat, particularly in districts where progress has been slow.
He said all legally available wheat should be brought into government custody as quickly as possible so it could be used to increase market supplies and help stabilize prices.
The chief minister ordered the Food Department to complete arrangements for releasing wheat to flour mills from 1 October.
The department was also told to monitor market prices closely and ensure that any reduction in the cost of government wheat was reflected in the price paid by consumers.
The Food Department informed the meeting that Sindh plans to procure between 190,000 MT and 223,455 MT of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), subject to the availability of Fair Average Quality wheat.
Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboobuz Zaman told the meeting that a tender for transportation had been floated and would be opened on 22 September 2026.
The department has also begun arrangements to procure bardana, or wheat storage bags, along with other logistical requirements.
The meeting also reviewed the federal government’s plans to import wheat.
Officials said the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) had invited bids for the import of 300,000 MT of wheat, with the tender due to be opened this week.
The chief minister directed the Food Department to monitor the process and prepare an assessment of the landed cost and its impact on supplies after the bids are opened.
The meeting reviewed the grinding capacity of flour mills in Karachi and was informed that 96 flour mills are currently functional while five remain non-functional.
Officials reported that Karachi’s 101 registered flour mills have a combined grinding capacity of 424,473 metric tons, with the largest capacities located in Malir and East districts.
Sindh currently has about 303,829 MT of wheat available, including leftover stocks, newly procured wheat and seized wheat that has been transported to government facilities.
Karachi has the largest stock, with 119,534 MT, followed by Larkana with 61,871 MT and Hyderabad with 54,559 MT.
The government plans to allocate 130,000 MT of PASSCO wheat and 300,000 MT of imported wheat to Karachi.
Additional PASSCO wheat has been earmarked for Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
The chief minister ordered the Food Department to complete the lifting of all available seized wheat, accelerate procurement from PASSCO, monitor wheat imports and costs, and improve coordination with district administrations and flour mills.
He also called for strict action against hoarding and market manipulation, along with a comprehensive system to monitor wheat stocks, releases and distribution.
