Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set the wheat support price at Rs4,500 per maund (40kg) for the 2027 crop, which is Rs1,000 more than last year’s Rs3,500. The decision was announced on Friday, 23 October 2026, according to a Prime Minister’s Office statement reported by Dawn. The price is “indicative,” and farmers had asked for more. Here is what was announced, why and what happens next.
Key Facts
- New price: Rs4,500 per maund (40kg), which is Rs112.5 per kg.
- Last year’s price: Rs3,500 per maund, an increase of Rs1,000, or about 29%.
- Type: Indicative. Dawn also calls it the “proposed rate.”
- Announced by: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
- Farmers’ demand: About Rs5,000, so the price is Rs500 below it, according to Express Tribune.
The Express Tribune report does not state the weight of a maund, but Dawn and The Nation give it as 40kg.
Why the Government Set This Price
The Express Tribune says the aim is to give growers relief from higher production costs, higher petrol prices and inflation. The government also wants farmers to have a reason to sow wheat and wants to strengthen food security.
Consultation With the Provinces
The PM thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and credited President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for guidance, according to Dawn and the Express Tribune.
Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the PM will coordinate with the provinces on a uniform rate. He said marketing wheat is a provincial responsibility. This means the final price farmers receive may depend on provincial decisions.
What Farmers Wanted
Dawn reports that last month the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad demanded Rs5,000 per 40kg. It warned that farmers might not sow wheat if crop policies were delayed and said farmers could not afford balanced fertiliser use. The reports I read give no reaction from farmer groups to the Rs4,500 price.
Wheat Stocks and Market Prices
- The Express Tribune says the federal government has reserved one million metric tonnes of wheat and ordered stock preservation.
- The minister said he expects market prices to fall within days. This is his expectation, and the reports do not give evidence for it.
What It Could Mean for Flour and Bread
The support price is what the government indicates farmers should get for the crop. Flour and bread prices depend on provincial policy, mill costs and market supply, and the reports do not say how they will change. A higher support price can raise the cost of wheat for millers, but the reports do not give any forecast for flour.
Other Decisions at the Meeting
The same meeting covered farming and livestock matters, according to Dawn and the Express Tribune:
- Sugar: The minister said production exceeds demand and suggested exporting the surplus. The ex-mill price is below the cost of production, crushing begins on 15 November and the PM ordered a mechanism to make sugar data 100% accurate.
- Livestock: The Livestock and Dairy Development Board will be restructured, with members chosen on merit. The PM ordered a time-bound plan to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease, and a federally funded vaccine plant is planned for Islamabad.
- Plant quarantine: A lab was upgraded at a cost of Rs400 million, and interceptions reportedly fell from 376 to 23.
- Palm oil: Efforts are under way to reduce imports by developing alternatives.
What Is Not Clear
- Whether provinces will adopt Rs4,500 as the final price, or set their own.
- Whether the government will buy wheat directly at this price. The reports do not mention procurement.
- How the price will affect flour and bread prices.
- Farmers’ response to the Rs4,500 price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new wheat support price?
Rs4,500 per maund (40kg), for the 2027 crop.
How much is it up from last year?
Rs1,000, from Rs3,500.
Who announced it?
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Friday, 23 October 2026.
Is it final?
It is described as indicative or proposed. The federal government will coordinate with the provinces on a uniform rate.
What did farmers demand?
About Rs5,000 per maund.
Will flour get cheaper?
The minister expects market prices to fall within days. No official forecast for flour was given.
The Rs4,500 price gives farmers a clear signal before the sowing season. Whether it satisfies them will depend on how the provinces apply it.
