ECC Likely to Approve Uniform Support Price for Wheat Today

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet is likely to approve the uniform minimum support price for wheat today in accordance with the recommendations of the federal and provincial governments. Prior to this, the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Wednesday directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to take appropriate steps for legislation to facilitate the decision on a uniform minimum support price for wheat as it has to be established prior to the sowing season, which begins on October 10. The committee, chaired by Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah, received a briefing from senior Food Ministry officials on the steps taken to develop a uniform minimum support price for wheat for the Rabi season of 2022. The ministry informed the committee that the ECC may approve the summary today (Friday), if the meeting takes place, based on the recommendation of the said ministry and the provincial governments. Additionally, considering that the sowing season has already begun in Sindh, the committee instructed the ministry to expedite the process of establishing a uniform support price for wheat. The committee was apprised that the provincial cabinet of Punjab has announced the support price of wheat at Rs. 3,000 per 40 kg. However, neither the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa nor the Balochistan governments have made any announcements as of yet. Moreover, it was mentioned that the Sindh provincial cabinet had set the support price for wheat at Rs. 4,000 per 40 kg on September 11. However, at a meeting with the Chief Minister of Sindh, upon a request by a cabinet committee for the minimum support price to be reviewed, no feedback has been received as of yet, said the officials.