KARACHI: The federal government’s newly announced Budget 2026-27 has sparked intense debate by allocating a meager Rs7.1 billion for agricultural storage infrastructure.
This small fund stands in stark contrast to a staggering national crisis where wheat losses alone drain more than Rs140 billion from the economy every single year.
A Deepening Infrastructure Crisis
Experts argue that the small allocation reveals a fundamental misunderstanding in Islamabad regarding the true scale of Pakistan’s agricultural vulnerabilities.
The domestic supply chain remains crippled by outdated warehousing, insufficient cold-chain facilities, poor handling practices, and severe pest damage.
While public procurement systems offer some protection for wheat, other critical crops like maize, pulses, fruits, and vegetables are left heavily exposed.
Data shows that combined pre-harvest and post-harvest wastage wipes out approximately 35% of overall agricultural output across various crop sectors.
The Horticulture Bottleneck
The challenge is felt most severely in horticulture, where the lack of modern preservation options directly impacts national food security.
Pakistan produces nearly 30 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables annually, yet national cold-storage capacity remains under one million tonnes.
Even grain storage falls short by up to 500,000 tonnes, preventing the country from safely preserving its annual 29.6 million tonne wheat yields.
Industry leaders emphasize that without scaling up these storage systems, the country will continue to throw away billions in valuable food resources.