Pakistan, May 7 -- There has been significant controversy and public outcry over the continued import of wheat in May 2024, despite the government's target to halt imports in February 2024. This decision comes at a time when the country's own wheat crop has flooded the market. The middlemen, flour mills, and hoarders are more inclined to store and hoard imported wheat compared to domestic wheat due to the price difference.

The average landed price of imported wheat is around US$290/mt (AU$450/mt), significantly lower than the government's domestic intervention price of approximately US$350/mt (AU$545/mt). As a result, the burden of purchasing and storing wheat has fallen on the government, which lacks the financial resources and capacity...