A major scandal has emerged in Sindh as wheat valued at billions of rupees has reportedly spoiled in the Sindh Food Department’s warehouses located in Karachi’s Landhi area. Originally purchased to provide subsidized flour to Karachi’s population, the wheat has now deteriorated due to years of neglect, according to a report by Samaa News.
The rotting stock dates back to as early as 2021, with some sacks having been stored even earlier. Sources within the department revealed that vast quantities were stored long before 2021, with no effective usage or rotation plan in place.
The Sindh government had spent a massive sum on both the procurement and maintenance of this stockpile. The ongoing cost of storing the spoiled wheat is estimated at Rs. 2.43 billion per month. In a bid to support farmers, the department had purchased wheat at Rs. 10,000 per sack—well above the market rate of Rs. 7,000.
Now, with the wheat unfit for consumption, any potential sale at Rs. 7,500 per sack could result in a staggering loss of Rs. 80 billion to the provincial government.
Sindh Food Advisor Abdul Jabbar clarified that the compromised wheat belongs to stock purchased before 2021, and recent wheat (from 2022–23) remains in good condition. He added that while the exact loss is yet to be assessed, the spoiled wheat will be repurposed for non-food uses. He also confirmed that the government will not procure additional wheat in the current fiscal year.
