Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday ordered an immediate province-wide crackdown on wheat hoarding and profiteering, directing the food department and district administrations to take strict legal action against those creating artificial shortages or manipulating the market as the province prepares to meet its wheat requirements for the remainder of the year.
Chairing a high-level meeting to assess wheat availability, stock levels and market conditions, the chief minister said the government would use every available measure to ensure a steady supply of wheat and flour at affordable prices across Sindh. He stressed that the administration would not permit anyone to exploit consumers through speculative trading or hoarding.
The meeting was attended by Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboobzaman, Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Bux Khan Mahar, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Rehabilitation Adviser Gianchand Esrani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to the Chief Minister Asif Jameel, Agriculture Secretary Zaman Narejo, Food Secretary Ghulam Abbas Naich and other senior officials.
Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboobzaman informed the meeting that Sindh produced 4.8 million metric tonnes () of wheat during the 2025-26 crop season, while the province’s annual consumption requirement stood at 6.53 , leaving a structural supply gap despite the bumper harvest.
Officials said the province’s total wheat availability, including carryover stocks, was estimated at 4.94 . However, after accounting for consumption between April and June and wheat transported to other provinces, Sindh could face a shortfall of approximately 2.1 by March 2027 if market supplies fail to continue.
The meeting was told that the Food Department currently holds 0.2218 of wheat, comprising both carryover reserves and newly procured stocks.
Officials further said Pakistan’s net wheat balance was estimated at 24.39 , with nearly 12.2 believed to be held by farmers and households. They added that only a small portion of these stocks was currently visible in the market, including around 2.5 in Punjab and 1 in Sindh, while nearly 9.5 remained outside normal trading channels.
Expressing concern over concealed stocks, Murad Shah said hidden inventories could fuel unnecessary market pressure and speculative activity. He said the government would not allow hoarders or profiteers to create artificial shortages and exploit consumers, adding that wheat was a strategic commodity whose uninterrupted availability must be ensured.
The meeting reviewed wheat price trends nationwide and was informed that prices had increased significantly in recent months. Wheat prices per 40 kilograms were reported at Rs4,150-Rs4,350 in Punjab, Rs4,680 in Sindh, Rs4,680 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rs4,600 in Balochistan.
Officials said wheat prices in Punjab had climbed from around Rs3,200 per 40 kilograms in early April to between Rs4,200 and Rs4,600 within a few months, reflecting an increase of more than 30 to 40 percent. The chief minister was also informed that returns from storing wheat had surpassed those offered by National Savings schemes, encouraging speculative stockpiling.
Reviewing flour prices in major cities, officials told the meeting that average flour prices stood at Rs135 per kilogram in Karachi, Rs131 in Hyderabad, and Rs124 in both Sukkur and Larkana. An analysis presented during the meeting indicated that higher wheat prices were directly pushing up flour and bread prices.
Shah said protecting consumers from unjustified price increases remained the government’s top priority. He directed the administration to ensure that any increase in wheat prices did not become a pretext for excessive profiteering and that flour remained available to consumers at fair prices.
Reviewing recommendations submitted by the Food Department, the chief minister ordered immediate enforcement under the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 2005. He instructed district administrations to identify illegal stockpiles, inspect warehouses and initiate legal proceedings against unlicensed wheat traders.
Officials informed the meeting that border surveillance had already been strengthened to prevent the unauthorised movement of wheat outside the province.
Shah directed the Food Department to closely monitor wheat stocks throughout Sindh, strictly enforce licensing requirements for storage and trading, intensify legal action against hoarders and profiteers, strengthen border monitoring, maintain regular market supplies to stabilise prices and expedite proposals to fix stock limits for flour mills.
The meeting was informed that a summary recommending stock limits for flour mills had already been submitted to the Sindh Cabinet for consideration.
Officials also proposed that wheat confiscated from illegal hoarders should be treated as government-procured stock and transferred to official warehouses, with owners compensated at the rate of Rs3,500 per 40 kilograms.
Concluding the meeting, Shah instructed all relevant departments to maintain close coordination and submit regular reports on wheat stocks, prices and overall market conditions. He said the government’s objective was to ensure that wheat and flour remained available, affordable and accessible to every citizen of Sindh, adding that no individual would be allowed to manipulate the market at the public’s expense.