Wheat flour prices are expected to rise as national wheat reserves stand just below the country’s annual consumption needs, official figures show.
Current wheat availability is 33.47 million tons against demand of 33.58 million tons, leaving a shortfall of 0.11 million tons.
The gap has already pushed retail flour prices higher. A 15kg bag now sells between Rs1,340 and Rs1,450 compared to Rs1,060–1,100 in early August. A 20kg bag has risen by nearly Rs500 in the past month, raising concerns among consumers and traders.
Heavy floods in key wheat-producing regions have further fueled fears of disruptions in the supply chain from mills to markets. The Finance Ministry, in its August update, warned that flood damages could add fiscal pressures and reduce food availability in affected areas.
To stabilize prices, the Punjab government has begun releasing grain reserves, fixing a rate of Rs2,900 per 40kg for public-sector wheat. However, open market prices surged to Rs3,100 per maund this week, nearly Rs1,000 higher than last month.
Punjab holds the largest reserves at 22.94 million tons, followed by Sindh (4.93m tons), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1.74m tons), Balochistan (1.46m tons), and PASSCO (2.45m tons) for the 2025–26 food year.
READ MORE: Govt Rules Out Wheat Imports
This year, Pakistan harvested 28.39 million tons of wheat from 9.1 million hectares, while 5.08 million tons were carried over from last year. Despite the marginal shortfall, the government has ruled out wheat imports. At the 8th Wheat Board Meeting, Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain stressed that existing reserves are sufficient and assured support for local farmers.
He also highlighted that urea and other fertilizers are adequately available for the upcoming Rabi season, though global price hikes remain a challenge. The minister called for stronger coordination between the federal and provincial governments to address policy hurdles under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
