Pakistan decides to import 1m tonnes of wheat
Pakistan has approved the import of 1 million tonnes of wheat to ease tightening supplies and stabilize rising wheat and flour prices. The move follows widening supply-demand gaps, with officials and industry estimating a 1.2–2.55 million-tonne wheat shortfall for the 2026–27 marketing year.
LAHORE: Following extensive deliberations, the federal government has decided to go ahead with import of one million tonnes of wheat.
Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain told The News on Thursday that the federal government has decided to import wheat on the demand of provinces. He added that the move would help stabilise wheat and flour prices in the country.
This is the first official realisation by authorities about gaps in wheat supply and demand in the country. In its initial crop estimate during the early phase of harvesting, The News on April 29, 2026, had already flagged a deficit in wheat production against demand for the 2026-27 marketing year and projected shortfall of 1.2 million tonnes, highlighting need for imports.
The federal government decision to import wheat comes at a time when prices of wheat and its products continue its upward streak and skyrocket across the provinces up till now. According to official data, wheat and flour prices saw a surge in the first week of July 2026 as average wheat price stood at Rs4,611 per 40kg, or Rs115 per kg, up from Rs4,516 a week earlier. Province-wise, wheat was priced at Rs4,423 in Punjab, Rs4,625 in Sindh, Rs5,100 in KP and Rs4,800 in Balochistan.
For flour, the national average reached Rs1,288 per 10kg, or Rs129 per kg, compared to Rs1,268 earlier. Punjab recorded Rs1,224, Sindh Rs1,328, KP Rs1,356 and Balochistan Rs1,378 per 10kg.
Flour industry also raises issue of the wheat shortage in the country. There are conflicting reports about quantum of shortfall though. The Progressive Flour Millers Group (PFMG) projected a wheat shortfall of 2.5 million tonnes for the ongoing season. Based on its estimates of Punjab production at about 19.5 million tonnes, PFMG assumes a marketable surplus of 30pc, or 5.85 million tonnes. Against this, total market size is estimated at 4.3 million tonnes, including 1.5 million tonnes for flour mills, 0.5 million held by aggregators, 0.5 million for seed companies, 0.3 million for KP and 1.5 million tonnes for prior three months consumption.
This leaves 1.55 million tons in the open market, according to Majid Abdullah, President PFMG. With a requirement of 4 million tonnes over the next eight months, PFMG warns about a gap of 2.5 million tonnes in demand and supply in Punjab alone.
Nevertheless, the 2026-27 wheat season kicked in with a supply deficit that necessitates prompt policy intervention. As per another estimate, the nation is expected to encounter a shortage of 2.55 million tons of wheat from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027. With a population of 268.13 million, the official assessment pegged Pakistan’s overall wheat demand at 34.33 million tons. This figure encompasses 30.83 million tons for human consumption, 1.5 million tons for feed and seed, and 2.0 million tons needed for strategic reserves.
In contrast, the total wheat availability is estimated at 31.78 million tons, which consists of 29.6 million tons from domestic production, along with a carryover stock of 2.0 million tons from the previous season. The discrepancy between total demand and total supply amounts to approximately 2.55 million tons. The per capita consumption used for this projection is 115 kg per person annually.
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Source : International The News
