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Amidst a deepening agricultural and administrative breakdown in Pakistan's Sindh province, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed serious concern over rising prices of wheat in the open market, exposing the government's absolute inability to check exploitative market forces.
According to a news report by Dawn, the provincial administration has failed spectacularly in its primary agricultural duties, managing to secure less than eight per cent of its essential grain reserves while leaving citizens vulnerable to rampant exploitation by market cartels. Chairing a high-level review meeting at CM House, Shah was informed that due to the disparity between the government's support price and market rate, the Food Department, as of June 4, procured only 79,835.66 metric tons of wheat against the target of one million metric tons. This systemic procurement failure has triggered a severe 25 per cent surge in the open market across the inflation-hit country. Dawn reported that the state's inability to compete with private buyers has left the local populace at the mercy of hoarding networks, driving basic food costs to unprecedented heights. In the provincial capital of Karachi, wheat is currently trading at PKR 11,100 per 100 kilograms, while in Hyderabad, the price has reached up to PKR 10,900. Consequently, retail flour prices have jumped to between PKR 135 and PKR 140 per kg, vastly exceeding the government's officially notified subsidised rate of PKR 107 per kg, forcing low-income families to bear the brunt of the state's economic mismanagement. Against this bleak backdrop, the chief minister convened the emergency session to review the widening price gap between the official support price and open market rates, alongside the catastrophic risks posed by speculative stockpiling of wheat, Dawn reported. Seeking to deflect blame from policy failures onto illegal traders, Shah made it clear that he will not allow hoarders to undermine provincial food security and price stability. He directed the provincial authorities to regulate the market to protect consumers from an artificial hike in flour prices, a directive that highlights the administration's ongoing struggle to maintain basic law and order within the supply chain. "This speculation-based hoarding directly undermines provincial food security and price stability," Shah said, acknowledging the fragility of the region's food networks. He further claimed: "Our first responsibility is to the people of Sindh. Wheat must remain available, affordable and secure. We will not allow any speculator to play with the staple food of our citizens." The meeting was informed that in line with the March 31 decision of the Sindh cabinet, wheat procurement for the 2025-26 crop commenced on April 1, with a target of one million metric tons. The cash-strapped government had fixed the support price at PKR 3,500 per 40 kg, with a bardana payment of PKR 60 per 50 kg bag, under a scheme that supposedly targeted 332,090 beneficiaries of the Sindh Wheat Growers Support Programme 2025. However, Dawn noted that the poorly executed government scheme completely failed to incentivise local farmers, who chose to bypass official channels entirely in favour of higher private rates. Confirming the collapse of the state machinery, officials admitted that as of June 4, the Food Department procured only 79,835.66 metric tons of wheat against the target of one million metric tons. The chief minister sought to restore confidence by reaffirming his government's commitment to protecting the interests of both farmers and consumers. "Wheat is not just a commodity -- it is the staple food of our people and a cornerstone of social stability," Shah observed. He added that his administration would do everything necessary, in partnership with growers, millers, traders and the federal authorities, to guarantee stable supplies and fair prices, promising that "Speculation and artificial shortages will not be allowed to undermine the rights of our citizens". In an attempt to enforce accountability on sluggish departments, the chief minister directed the Food Department and other relevant agencies to submit regular progress reports on regulations. Dawn highlighted that despite these retrospective administrative directives, the provincial government remains heavily exposed to a self-inflicted food security emergency as hoarding persists unchecked. "The people of Sindh expect us to act with urgency and responsibility. We will not disappoint them," Shah stated. The session was attended by provincial ministers Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, Jam Khan Shoro, Makhdoom Mahboob Zaman, Adviser Gianchand Israni, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to CM Asif Jameel, Agriculture Secretary Zaman Narejo and other concerned officials. (ANI)
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