Sindh Recovers 172,000 Tonnes of Hoarded Wheat as CM Orders Intensified Crackdown

KARACHI: In a major offensive against profiteering, Sindh’s food department has seized more than 172,000 metric tonnes of wheat hoarded across the province, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was informed during a high-level review meeting at the CM House on Thursday.

Chairing the session on wheat stocks, market supply, and future requirements, the chief minister directed authorities to escalate anti-hoarding operations to bridge a projected deficit of 2.11 million metric tonnes by March 2027. Officials reported that enforcement actions to date have already improved market availability and eased flour prices.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Mukesh Chawla, Jam Khan Shoro, Makhdoom Mahboob Zaman, and Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, Adviser Gianchand Israni, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, and secretaries of agriculture, food, and other relevant departments.

There’s no immediate shortage of wheat in province, Murad assures people

The chief minister instructed the chief secretary to intensify anti-hoarding and anti-profiteering drives, ensure precise monitoring of stocks held by traders, mills, and large stockists, and prevent artificial scarcity. He emphasized that wheat remains a strategic commodity vital to food security and public welfare, warning that negligence in maintaining adequate reserves and stabilizing prices would not be tolerated.

Addressing the public, Shah assured citizens there is no immediate wheat shortage in the province. “The government is closely monitoring stock levels and market conditions and will ensure the uninterrupted availability of wheat and flour at reasonable prices,” he stated.

Officials briefed the meeting that total wheat availability for the 2026-27 season stands at 4.84 million metric tonnes, comprising 4.7 million tonnes of current production and 140,000 tonnes of carry-forward stocks. The food department proposed a multi-pronged strategy, including additional allocations from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation, facilitating wheat movement from Punjab, and imports if necessary to secure sufficient supplies.

Current market rates show wheat priced at Rs11,000 per 40kg in Karachi, Rs10,800 in Hyderabad, Rs10,750 in Sukkur, and Rs10,250 in Larkana. Retail flour sells for Rs130/kg in Karachi, Rs125 in Hyderabad, and Rs118 in both Sukkur and Larkana.

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