The wheat crisis in the country is deepening with every passing day. From Punjab to KP, Sindh to Balochistan, masses in every province are facing the worst flour crisis. Experts and countless food departments across the country had given out warnings of an impending wheat crisis back in 2020; more alarm bells were rung after the floods ruined at least 50 percent of the crop and rendered the land useless. International conflicts such as the one in Ukraine were expected to cause hardships in the country considering that we used to import a majority of our wheat from Ukraine.
The wheat crisis has reached such a point that a man was trampled to death in a stampede towards a government truck selling wheat at state-approved rates.
Most provinces have issued notices stating that they are running short on supply, especially Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh. The federal government has also been criticised for failing to arrange imports from alternative sources in the meantime.
However, the wheat crisis runs deeper than just miscalculation and a failure to coordinate. The political differences between the centre and Punjab have also created hurdles as each blames the other for mishandling the entire issue. At the same time, independent millers and retailers have reportedly created artificial shortages that have jacked up prices and made the commodity almost unaffordable by the masses that have been struggling to arrange a meal per day.
In light of this issue, the Punjab food department has particularly ordered the flour dealers and millers to produce records of the commodity so that it can be traced and supply can be measured to see where the rot truly lies.
At the end of the day, if there is insufficient grain in the market, the demand only increases, a shortfall such as this is bound to take place. However, there are still certain steps that the government can take to assume control over the matter once again, else the situation of wheat will turn worse in the country.
