A wheat shortage crisis is looming in Balochistan, with officials warning that the provincial government currently has no wheat available in its official warehouses.
According to the provincial Food Department, the Balochistan government has approved the purchase of 500,000 bags of wheat to build up emergency stocks. However, officials say that not a single bag of wheat is currently available in government warehouses.
Despite approval for the purchase, the required funds have reportedly not yet been released by the Finance Department. The delay in releasing the funds has raised concerns about the government’s ability to replenish wheat stocks before shortages begin to affect the market.
Officials said that once the funds become available, the process of purchasing wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) will be finalized.
However, authorities have warned that purchasing the wheat and transporting it to local government warehouses will take approximately one month.
The situation has raised concerns about the availability of wheat and flour in the province, particularly if existing private-sector supplies come under pressure. Balochistan depends on supplies from other parts of the country for a significant portion of its wheat requirements, making timely procurement and transportation particularly important.
The absence of government stocks could also limit the provincial administration’s ability to intervene in the market if prices rise or shortages develop. Government wheat reserves are generally used to help maintain supplies to flour mills and stabilize availability during periods of increased demand or disruption.
Officials have therefore stressed the importance of releasing the approved funds as soon as possible so that procurement can begin without further delay.
The approval to purchase 500,000 bags is intended to address the shortage in official reserves, but the procurement process cannot move forward fully until the Finance Department releases the funds.
Once financing is made available, the government plans to purchase wheat from PASSCO and transport it to warehouses across the province. Authorities estimate that the complete process will take around one month.
The developing situation has raised concerns among traders and consumers over the possibility of higher flour prices and supply disruptions if procurement is delayed further.
For now, officials are closely watching the wheat supply situation and waiting for the release of funds to begin procurement. The speed at which the government completes the purchase and distribution process will be crucial in preventing the situation from developing into a wider wheat crisis in Balochistan.
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