Millions of maunds of wheat held in government warehouses in Karachi’s Landhi area have reportedly deteriorated and become unfit for human consumption. As a result, flour millers have refused to collect the grain released by the Sindh government.
The stock is said to have been stored at facilities run by the Sindh Food Department in Landhi. A large quantity bought with public funds has reportedly rotted and turned black while in storage.
Damaged wheat raises concerns over public losses
The reported damage has raised concerns about heavy financial losses for the national exchequer. Wheat bought for billions of rupees has allegedly been allowed to go to waste instead of being sold or distributed.
The stockpile reportedly includes wheat held for four years, with a significant share said to be damaged and unusable.
Millers inspect stock and call for separation
The Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association declined to take the wheat after inspecting it. Association chairman Malik Iqbal said a large portion of the government-held wheat was damaged.
Iqbal urged that spoiled grain be separated from usable stock. He added that millers would consider buying whatever wheat remained fit for consumption. The association warned that the shortage could deepen in the coming months, putting flour supply and prices at risk.
Millers push for imports and back new policy
The province needs roughly one million metric tonnes of wheat, and millers fear supplies could fall short even with government reserves in place. The association has written to the prime minister, the president and the Sindh chief minister, asking for imports amid lower domestic output and the condition of state reserves.
Iqbal described the official wheat price of Rs12,500 per maund as encouraging. He stressed, however, that damaged stocks must be removed before millers could think about buying the rest. The association also expressed support for a new wheat policy, saying it could help curb corruption and ease the burden of government subsidies.
