KARACHI (March 23): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Food Department to immediately begin fumigation of wheat godowns and initiate procurement of the new wheat crop without delay. Chairing a joint meeting of the Agriculture and Food Departments at the CM House he emphasised that supporting small farmers remains the government’s top priority.

The chief minister instructed officials to ensure transparency in wheat procurement and proper stock management. He specifically ordered that small growers, especially those who received government seed subsidies should be given priority during the procurement process.

During the briefing, Food Minister Makhdoom Mehboobuz Zaman informed the meeting that over 1.3 million tons of wheat stock was available until July 2025 most of which has already been released into the market. A small quantity, however, still remains.

Taking notice the chief minister ordered the immediate disposal of the remaining stock to stabilise market prices and free up storage space for the incoming crop. He also stressed the need for cleanliness and proper fumigation of all wheat storage facilities to ensure safe and hygienic grain preservation.