Islamabad : May 29, 2025 – The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research, chaired by Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, held at the Parliament House, Islamabad. The session focused on wheat procurement by Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) during 2024, alleged corruption in the process, and the wheat procurement target for the fiscal year 2025. The committee also discussed the growing issue of counterfeit seeds.
During the briefing, PASSCO officials reported that the procurement target for wheat in the fiscal year 2024–25 was set at 1.8 million tons, of which 1.785 million tons were successfully procured. However, incidents of alleged corruption during the procurement process prompted a formal inquiry.
Federal Minister for National Food Security, Rana Tanveer Hussain, told the committee that approximately Rs. 1 billion in corruption had taken place within PASSCO during the previous year. As a result, investigations were initiated against 249 officials and employees, including two senior general managers. Disciplinary actions taken include the dismissal of one officer, compulsory retirement of another, and withholding of annual increments for two officers.
Minister for Food security Rana Tanveer Hussain said that, under the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PASSCO is being dissolved and a new institution will be established to manage wheat procurement and storage more effectively.
During the meeting, Senator Danesh Kumar raised concerns about deteriorating wheat stocks in Balochistan, warning that failure to procure the grain could lead to another scandal. The federal minister acknowledged that some wheat stocks in Balochistan had indeed deteriorated. He also pointed out that neighboring countries have advanced significantly in the agriculture sector, offering cheaper electricity and fertilizers to their farmers, while Pakistani farmers still lack access to basic agricultural inputs.
On the issue of counterfeit seeds, officials briefed the committee that the sale of fake seeds poses a serious threat to national food security. So far, licenses of 400 fake companies have been revoked, and from 2020 to 2024, a total of 2,733 challans (legal notices) have been issued. Companies producing quality seeds are being encouraged and supported.
The committee was informed that Punjab has improved its seed inspection system, with over 1,000 experts actively assisting farmers. Other provinces are also utilizing online platforms to disseminate information to farmers.
The meeting also touched upon the status of the Chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). The committee was informed that the matter is sub judice and the chairman is currently on leave. The committee chair stressed the importance of appointing a qualified and experienced individual to this key position.
The meeting was attended by Senators Rahat Jamali, Abdul Waseh, Danesh Kumar, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, and senior officials from the Ministry of National Food Security and affiliated institutions.
