ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday chaired a high-level meeting of the Wheat Board to review the country’s wheat stocks, distribution plan and provincial requirements.
The meeting was attended by Secretary National Food Security and Research Amer Ali Ahmed, the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Agriculture, agriculture and food secretaries of all provinces, representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, senior ministry officials, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, officials reviewed the wheat requirements of the provinces from PASSCO stocks. It was noted that the combined demand from the provinces was higher than the wheat currently available with PASSCO.
After consultations with the provinces, the government decided to explore the import of around 1 million tonnes of wheat to meet the shortfall. Officials said the proposed import quantity is based on the requirements submitted by the provinces and is intended to ensure an uninterrupted wheat supply and strengthen national food security.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said all provinces would be fully consulted throughout the import process, especially regarding the quality standards of the imported wheat.
He added that the imported wheat would be distributed among the provinces according to their actual needs to ensure transparency, fairness and equal allocation.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working closely with all provinces to maintain a stable wheat supply, protect consumers’ interests and ensure the timely availability of wheat across the country. He directed the relevant authorities to complete all necessary arrangements efficiently and in close coordination with the provincial governments.
