Sindh CM directs adequate wheat supply to market for stable prices

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah presiding over a meeting on the wheat release policy directed to ensure adequate supply of wheat in the market.

He said sufficient wheat supply in the market would help maintain stable prices of flour and bread.

The meeting held at the CM House was attended by Agriculture Minister Muhammad Bux Mahar, Food Minister Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and others.

He noted that currently 1.2 million tons of wheat stocks are available in Sindh, with the private sector also holding a further 600,000 tons.

CM Shah said these stocks are sufficient for the next four and a half months, by which time the new harvest is expected.

The chief minister directed the food minister to develop and get approval for a comprehensive wheat release policy. “I want to finalize the wheat release policy and fix the price within this week,” he added.

Food minister Makhdoom Mahboob briefed the meeting that around 250,000 tons of wheat are normally released to the market each month.

Chief minister stated that to boost production, the government is supporting wheat farmers with 25 acres of land or less. “We are providing these growers with one bag of DAP and two bags of urea fertilizer each,” Murad Shah said, adding, “I want to set the support price to encourage a bumper wheat crop.”