Abolishes the limit of five bags per hectare, the government says to buy wheat directly from farmers
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced major relief measures for small farmers announcing the abolition of five bags per hectare limits and said that registered small growers can now sell wheat to the government without quantity restrictions.
The Chief Minister made this announcement at a high-level meeting attended by Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Food Minister Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and other senior officials. The meeting was held to review the ongoing 2026 wheat procurement campaign.
Officials briefed that the wheat procurement drive, launched on April 1, has a target of one million tonnes, with a support price set at Rs3,500 per tonne. 40 kg. The program covers over 332,000 farmers who farm approximately 1.94 million acres across the province.
The Food Minister informed the meeting that only 8,958 tonnes of wheat has been procured so far against a target of 973,900 tonnes, largely attributing the shortfall to the previous restriction on small farmers.
Taking cognizance of it, Murad ordered the immediate removal of the limit and directed the food department to speed up procurement, ensure prompt payments and strengthen field-level engagement with farmers.
The meeting was informed that payments to farmers have improved significantly and funds are now transferred within a day through a designated bank. So far, Rs198.3 million has been disbursed, the meeting informed.
Stressing that timely payments are essential to build farmers’ confidence, the Chief Minister directed the authorities to encourage the growers to bring their wheat to official procurement centres. He added that farmers who sell their produce to the government remain eligible for future subsidies and support programs.
To improve efficiency, the government has established a complaint room, activated monitoring of assistant commissioners and revenue officials and opened 12 additional malls. Strict oversight has been imposed to ensure transparency and eliminate corruption with a zero tolerance policy towards irregularities.
Murad reaffirmed that the wheat procurement campaign is essential to support farmers and ensure food security in the province, stating that farmers remain the backbone of the economy and will continue to receive fair prices, timely payments and effective policy support.
