Karachi February 9 2023: Sindh, the 2nd largest province of Pakistan, cabinet in its meeting held today on 9th February 2023 fixes the support/procurement price of wheat crop 2022-23.
The cabinet fixes the wheat price at PKR 4,000 per maund/40 kg or PKR 100 per kg. Minimum support price for the current year was fixed at PKR 2200/40 kg.
Few weeks ago Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema said that last year wheat support price was fixed at Rs 2,200 and this year it was proposed to be fixed at Rs 3,000 per 40 kg, adding that the governments of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggested fixing the support price at Rs 3,000 per 40 kg.
Earlier, the cost of production of wheat crop Rabi 2022-23, worked out by the Agriculture Policy Institute (API) is estimated at PKR 2,495/40 kg for the average farmer and PKR 2,427/40 kg for the progressive grower.
Wheat is the staple crop and it ensures food security of the country. Wheat is cultivated over 22 million acres and accounts for 7.8 percent of the value added in agriculture and 1.8 percent of GDP. Self-sufficiency in wheat has been an objective of every Government and thus always challenges for the agriculture experts and policy makers.
Wheat is a strategic crop and any shortfall in its production can create an awkward situation leading to political uncertainty, significant drainage of foreign reserves, rise in prices of wheat flour and pocket shortages in vulnerable areas.
During 2021-22, area sown decreased to 8,976 thousand hectares (2.1 percent) against last year’s of 9,168 thousand hectares. The production of wheat declined to 26.394 million tonnes (3.9 percent) compared to 27.464 million tonnes production of last year.
Wheat production declined due to decline in area sown, shortfall in irrigation water and drought conditions at sowing, less fertilizers offtake and heat wave in
March/April, though the government has increased Minimum Support Price to PKR 2200/40 kg this year is aligned to the cost of production.
