Okara district is staring at a wheat shortage, with only about 37,000 bags reportedly left in official stocks, prompting the District Food Controller to demand 300,000 bags as flour prices climb across Punjab.
The figures were reported on Tuesday by Aaj News journalist Shahbaz Shaheen, who said the demand for additional wheat had been raised as district reserves dwindled to a fraction of the required quantity.
Farmers in the district told the journalist that this year’s wheat production had been satisfactory, but official procurement policies forced them to sell their crop in the open market at low prices. They said traders bought only part of the harvest and turned the rest away.
One grower warned that if the procurement department does not buy their wheat, there is no benefit in sowing the next crop. The farmers urged the government to cut the prices of pesticides, fertiliser and diesel immediately, warning they would otherwise suffer heavier financial losses.
The crisis in Okara reflects a wider national squeeze. A wheat import committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reviewed arrangements this week, and officials said the first shipment of imported wheat is expected to reach Karachi Port before the end of October.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on October 10 approved a Rs10 billion subsidy and ordered subsidised wheat to be supplied to flour mills at Rs3,800 per maund to hold down flour prices. Sindh has approved the release of government wheat to flour mills at a subsidised rate from October 15.
According to Shahbaz Shaheen, the shortage pressure is not confined to Okara, with other districts feeling the effects as well. Farmers say timely official procurement and relief on input costs could still prevent the situation from turning into a wider food crisis.
