The government has circulated an interim national wheat policy announcing an indicative price of PKR 3,500 per maund. However, this has been misinterpreted by the public as the minimum support price (MSP). The Finance Minister clarified in his recent interview that the announced figure is only an indicative price, aligned with the prevailing import parity level, and not a guaranteed support price.
He also emphasized that the government is transitioning toward deregulation of the wheat sector. The repeated mention of the word “transition” suggests that full deregulation may occur gradually, likely implemented in phases rather than all at once from next year.
The circular further mentions the government’s plan to build strategic wheat reserves of 6.2 million metric tons through private participation. This means the government will not procure wheat directly, but rather licensed private companies will purchase on its behalf. However, given the current challenges faced by private players in wheat selling despite having proper documentation this approach may prove difficult to implement effectively.
