ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Sunday asked authorities to ensure timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses to the country and to benefit farmers and consumers, ahead of the arrival of new crop.
Hussain issued the directives while presiding over a meeting to review wheat reserves, management strategies, and the selling process to avoid any future crises.
In Pakistan, wheat crop is planted in mid-December and the harvest usually begins in March, with the majority of the crop harvested between April and early June.
Last year, farmers in Pakistan held several protests over lower wheat prices due to the import of excess amounts of the commodity that flooded local markets.
“There would be zero tolerance for any delays in the wheat sale process as prolonged storage could impact the quality of wheat and lead to financial losses for the national treasury,” Hussain was quoted as saying by the government’s Press Information Department (PID).
Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and constitutes its largest sector. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), agriculture contributes about 24 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for half of the employed labor force in the country.
However, the prices of wheat last year dropped significantly in Pakistan and were much below the government’s support price of Rs3,900 ($14) per 40-kilogram bag.
During Sunday’s meeting, Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO) officials informed the minister they had strengthened coordination with different agencies and provincial authorities to accelerate the sale of wheat.
“Various measures have been implemented to ensure transparency in the wheat sale process, benefiting both farmers and consumers,” they were quoted as saying.
Hussain instructed PASSCO officials to devise effective policies to address administrative and financial challenges, ensuring smooth operations in the future, according to the PID. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural development, food security, and farmers’ welfare.
Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers
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Pakistan minister urges timely sale of stored wheat to avoid financial losses, benefit farmers
- In Pakistan, the wheat crop is planted in mid-December and the majority of the crop is harvested between April and early June
- Pakistani farmers last year held several protests over lower wheat prices due to the import of excess wheat that flooded markets
Pakistan plans $3,500 locally made electric car to lure motorcycle users
- Government-backed program aims to speed shift to electric transport
- Lithium battery plants and possible tax cuts seen lowering EV costs
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to launch a locally manufactured low-cost electric vehicle (EV) priced at Rs1 million ($3,556), aimed at helping motorcycle users transition more easily to cars, an official from the Engineering Development Board (EDB) told Arab News on Monday.
The country has seen a gradual rise in the adoption of EVs in a market traditionally dominated by Japanese automakers. The development comes as major cities across Pakistan face some of the world’s highest levels of air pollution, leading to dense smog in winter, with road transport being a major contributor.
In June last year, Pakistan introduced its Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–30, announcing more than Rs100 billion ($353 million) in subsidies over five years to support electric bikes and rickshaws and accelerate the shift toward cleaner transport.
“The car will be fully made in Pakistan and a local company is working on it,” Zeeshan Ashraf, a spokesman for the Engineering Development Board, a government body, told Arab News. “Its full price will be Rs1 million while the government is planning to give extra subsidy on this.”
Chinese and Korean electric vehicle brands have increasingly entered Pakistan’s market in recent years, making EVs a more common sight in cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
Ashraf said the vehicle will be launched under the Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) Program, a public-sector initiative designed to promote an eco-friendly and economical transportation system in the country.
The locally manufactured low-cost EV is expected to become available across the country within the next few months, he added.
Earlier, Engineering Development Board Chief Executive Hammad Mansoor was quoted by local media as saying that Pakistan could see its first fully electric, locally manufactured car enter the market by June 2026, with an estimated price of around Rs1 million.
Speaking to journalists during an iftar dinner in Karachi this month, Mansoor also signaled that the government may lower vehicle taxes in the upcoming federal budget to make hybrid, electric and conventional fuel vehicles more affordable.
He said Pakistan’s first lithium battery manufacturing facility is expected to begin production by May, while a second plant could start operations in September.
According to him, about 74 percent of battery components will be produced locally, which could significantly reduce the cost of EVs by relying on domestically manufactured parts.
