A National Assembly standing committee has recommended fixing Pakistan’s minimum wheat support price at Rs5,000 per 40 kilograms or above, while calling for a uniform subsidy mechanism for farmers across the country.
The recommendation was made by the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research at its October 1 meeting at Parliament House in Islamabad.
The Rs5,000 figure is a committee recommendation, not a newly approved national wheat price.
According to the National Assembly’s official statement, the committee said the National Wheat Policy 2026–2030 should be finalised and announced before the wheat sowing season begins, arguing that decisions taken after sowing would have limited practical value for farmers.
The committee highlighted rising input costs, inadequate mechanisation, seed quality, limited agricultural research, insufficient subsidies, storage constraints and weak export performance among the challenges facing the agriculture sector.
The Minister for National Food Security and Research briefed the committee on the previous interim wheat policy, the proposed National Wheat Policy 2026–2030 and subsidy models under consideration. The committee was told that consultations with provincial governments would be held within a week to finalise the policy and that it would be announced before sowing.
The committee also called for a simple and uniform farmer-support mechanism. The official statement noted different provincial approaches, including support through Punjab’s Kissan Card, assistance in Sindh for farmers with holdings of up to 25 acres, and an in-kind subsidy of Rs5,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Storage and marketing arrangements were another concern following the closure of PASSCO. Committee members said farmers could have fewer alternatives for storing and marketing wheat.
The committee additionally called for action against hoarders involved in artificial increases in DAP and other fertiliser prices.
The recommendation now forms part of the policy debate ahead of the Rabi wheat season. Until the government finalises and announces the national wheat policy, the proposed Rs5,000-per-40kg level should not be treated as an approved nationwide support price.