The Sindh government rejected the Centre’s demand for calling off wheat support price. The provincial government announced Rs2000 wheat support price and the federal government urged it to review the decision. However, the Sindh admin was of the view that the local farmer should be supported and refused to back off.

The decision was made in the Sindh cabinet meeting last month to avoid a shortage of wheat next year so that import could be averted.

On the other hand, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) set the minimum wheat procurement price to 1,600 rupees from Rs1,400 to Rs1,600 per 40 kg – an increase of Rs200 or 14.3%.

The cabinet also approved sugarcane support price at Rs202 per 40 kg and the crushing season would start from November. The proposal comes two days after ECC endorsed Rs1,600 as minimum procurement price

The agriculture department told the cabinet that the Punjab and Balochistan had proposed to fix maximum wheat procurement support price at Rs1,700 per 40 kg while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had proposed Rs1,880 per 40 kg.