Wheat price to be announced after talks with provinces, before sowing, says PM Shehbaz

The federal government will announce a wheat price for the coming crop only after consulting the provinces, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, and it wants the figure out before farmers start sowing. No price or date was given at the meeting in Islamabad, Business Recorder reported.

For wheat growers in Punjab and Sindh, who are deciding now how much land to put under wheat this winter, the timing is the whole point: a price known before sowing tells them whether the crop will pay.

What the PM said

Speaking at the first meeting of the National Agriculture and Food Security Council (NAFSC), the prime minister said:

• The price must give "fair returns for farmers while keeping wheat affordable for consumers."
• It needs to be set before sowing begins so farmers are paid fairly for their effort.
• Pakistan has enough wheat in stock for its needs, and hoarders will get no concession.
• The centre will help with affordable fertiliser, quality seed, modern machinery and advice on using water efficiently, with small and medium farmers the priority.

He also pointed to livestock and halal meat exports as a growth area and praised Punjab's Kisan Card subsidies and Sindh's support for growers.

Who was in the room

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Sindh Food Minister Makhdoom Mahboob-uz-Zaman briefed the council on their provinces' farmer schemes, and measures in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were also discussed. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Musadik Malik, Jam Kamal Khan, Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar attended.

What it means for you

• Farmers: there is still no price to plan around. Watch for the provincial consultations; the announcement should come before the main sowing weeks.
• Flour buyers: the PM's line on enough stocks and no relief for hoarders is meant to keep atta prices steady through winter. Kitchen costs are also rising with the winter gas plan (homes get gas 5pm to 10pm from November).

We will add the price here the day it is notified. Today's other prices, from gold to the dollar, are on our data hub.