Key Takeaways
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces a wheat crisis with government stocks at two-week supply.
- Annual wheat requirement is 5.436 million metric tons, with local production at 1.472 million metric tons.
- Additional 225,000 metric tons of wheat from Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation is expected.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is grappling with a potential wheat crisis as government warehouses hold only enough stock to meet the province’s requirements for about two weeks, according to a Food Department document.
The document reveals that government warehouses currently hold 189,000 metric tons of wheat, which is insufficient to meet the daily requirement of approximately 14,900 metric tons for the province.
With an annual wheat requirement of 5.436 million metric tons and local production of just 1.472 million metric tons, the province faces an annual shortfall of 3.964 million metric tons.
The province’s population stands at 43.843 million, according to the document, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department has expressed concerns over the potential wheat shortage, which could impact the province’s food security and economy.
However, there is some relief on the horizon as the supply of an additional 225,000 metric tons of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSC) is expected to arrive soon.
The provincial government is closely monitoring the situation and working with the PASSC to ensure a steady supply of wheat to meet the province’s needs.
The Food Department has called for increased efforts to boost local wheat production and improve storage facilities to prevent future shortages.
