Pakistanis are eating less, and increasingly, they are eating worse. Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) shows that over the past six years, food consumption has declined across both urban and rural Pakistan, with average consumption falling in almost every major food category. Families are making fewer cups of rice, serving smaller rotis, cooking meat less frequently, giving their children less milk, and even drinking fewer cups of tea each day. The one major exception is vanaspati ghee, consumption of which has surged by 81%, from 690 grams a month to 1.25 kilograms.&nbsp;The shift is more than a change in eating habits. It is a warning about the quality of life and nutrition of millions of Pakistanis. The social indicators are particularly painful. The percentage of households classified as ‘moderate to severely food insecure’ has risen from 15.92 per cent in 2019 to 24.35 per cent in 2025. Over the same period, severe food insecurity increased from 2.37% of households to 5.04%. In other words, nearly a quarter of Pakistani households are now experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity, while a growing share are facing severe hunger and deprivation.&nbsp;For a country that has long taken pride in being an agrarian economy, these numbers are difficult to reconcile with the national narrative. Pakistan Studies textbooks have drilled the image of a fertile, self-sufficient Pakistan into generations of students: lush green fields, abundant crops and a country capable of feeding itself. Fertiliser advertisements have reinforced that image with unusually cheerful farmers throwing urea around at sunset. The promise has been repeated for decades. When Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests, citizens were told that whatever happened, the country would not go hungry because it could produce enough food for itself. A similar reassurance surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains were disrupted and food security became a concern around the world.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/focus-on-real-issues-bilawal-bhutto-slams-pakistan-govt-for-spreading-false-stories-about-his-personal-life-1788231225052">'Focus on real issues': Bilawal Bhutto slams Pakistan govt for spreading false stories about his personal life</a>&nbsp;But that ability to feed ourselves has been under serious strain for years. Pakistan has been a net importer of food since at least 2021. At the same time, rising food prices have steadily altered what households can afford to put on the table. This is not simply a story about people eating fewer meals or buying less food. It is about the composition of the Pakistani diet changing under economic pressure. When families cannot afford enough meat, milk, rice and other staples, they do not simply stop eating. They substitute, reduce portions and prioritise the cheapest available calories. The result can be a diet that fills the stomach without providing the nutrition required for healthy growth.&nbsp;That makes the rise in vanaspati ghee particularly significant. While households are cutting back on several food categories, consumption of a cheaper source of fat has increased sharply. The numbers suggest that affordability, rather than nutritional value, is increasingly determining what ends up on the Pakistani dinner table. The consequences could extend far beyond today's household budgets. Children who receive less milk and fewer nutritious foods are at greater risk of inadequate growth and development. Adults who consume poorer-quality diets may have less energy and greater vulnerability to illness. Over time, widespread dietary deterioration can translate into lower productivity, weaker human capital and greater pressure on an already strained healthcare system.&nbsp;The danger is that food insecurity can become self-reinforcing. Poor nutrition affects health and productivity; lower productivity limits household income; and lower incomes make nutritious food even harder to afford. That is why these consumption figures should not be dismissed as merely another indicator of inflation or household spending. They provide a window into how economic stress is changing everyday life. The macroeconomic picture may be bleak, but the most important story is often found at the household level: the smaller roti, the fewer glasses of milk, the less frequent meat curry and the extra spoonful of ghee. Pakistan's food problem is therefore not simply about producing enough food.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is increasingly about whether ordinary families can afford to buy and consume enough of the right food. If the trend continues, the country could end up confronting a generation that is not only poorer, but also less healthy and less well nourished than the one before it. That would be a recipe for a much deeper social and economic crisis.

Pakistanis are eating less as food prices rise, with declining consumption of rice, meat and milk and rising food insecurity threatening nutrition and health

Pakistanis are eating less, and increasingly, they are eating worse. Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) shows that over the past six years, food consumption has declined across both urban and rural Pakistan, with average consumption falling in almost every major food category. Families are making fewer cups of rice, serving smaller rotis, cooking meat less frequently, giving their children less milk, and even drinking fewer cups of tea each day. The one major exception is vanaspati ghee, consumption of which has surged by 81%, from 690 grams a month to 1.25 kilograms. The shift is more than a change in eating habits. It is a warning about the quality of life and nutrition of millions of Pakistanis. The social indicators are particularly painful. The percentage of households classified as ‘moderate to severely food insecure’ has risen from 15.92 per cent in 2019 to 24.35 per cent in 2025. Over the same period, severe food insecurity increased from 2.37% of households to 5.04%. In other words, nearly a quarter of Pakistani households are now experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity, while a growing share are facing severe hunger and deprivation. For a country that has long taken pride in being an agrarian economy, these numbers are difficult to reconcile with the national narrative. Pakistan Studies textbooks have drilled the image of a fertile, self-sufficient Pakistan into generations of students: lush green fields, abundant crops and a country capable of feeding itself. Fertiliser advertisements have reinforced that image with unusually cheerful farmers throwing urea around at sunset. The promise has been repeated for decades. When Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests, citizens were told that whatever happened, the country would not go hungry because it could produce enough food for itself. A similar reassurance surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains were disrupted and food security became a concern around the world. Also Read: 'Focus on real issues': Bilawal Bhutto slams Pakistan govt for spreading false stories about his personal life But that ability to feed ourselves has been under serious strain for years. Pakistan has been a net importer of food since at least 2021. At the same time, rising food prices have steadily altered what households can afford to put on the table. This is not simply a story about people eating fewer meals or buying less food. It is about the composition of the Pakistani diet changing under economic pressure. When families cannot afford enough meat, milk, rice and other staples, they do not simply stop eating. They substitute, reduce portions and prioritise the cheapest available calories. The result can be a diet that fills the stomach without providing the nutrition required for healthy growth. That makes the rise in vanaspati ghee particularly significant. While households are cutting back on several food categories, consumption of a cheaper source of fat has increased sharply. The numbers suggest that affordability, rather than nutritional value, is increasingly determining what ends up on the Pakistani dinner table. The consequences could extend far beyond today's household budgets. Children who receive less milk and fewer nutritious foods are at greater risk of inadequate growth and development. Adults who consume poorer-quality diets may have less energy and greater vulnerability to illness. Over time, widespread dietary deterioration can translate into lower productivity, weaker human capital and greater pressure on an already strained healthcare system. The danger is that food insecurity can become self-reinforcing. Poor nutrition affects health and productivity; lower productivity limits household income; and lower incomes make nutritious food even harder to afford. That is why these consumption figures should not be dismissed as merely another indicator of inflation or household spending. They provide a window into how economic stress is changing everyday life. The macroeconomic picture may be bleak, but the most important story is often found at the household level: the smaller roti, the fewer glasses of milk, the less frequent meat curry and the extra spoonful of ghee. Pakistan's food problem is therefore not simply about producing enough food. It is increasingly about whether ordinary families can afford to buy and consume enough of the right food. If the trend continues, the country could end up confronting a generation that is not only poorer, but also less healthy and less well nourished than the one before it. That would be a recipe for a much deeper social and economic crisis.

According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistanis are eating less and poorer-quality food as inflation and food insecurity rise, raising concerns about nutrition, health and future generations

Pakistanis are eating less. What they are eating instead is even more alarming

Pakistan Army is planning to take over large swathes of land owned by the government to boost food production, Nikkei Asia has reported, amidst concerns over the all-powerful military’s growing presence in the functioning of the country.

The fact that the army, which has significant influence over politics and foreign policy of the country, now intends to mark its presence in the agricultural sector has triggered concerns.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the report, the army will acquire up to 1 million acres, or 405,000 hectares, of land in eastern Punjab province, which is three times the size of Delhi or about 5,500 times of Beijing's Forbidden City.

The land is purportedly in the Cholistan Desert—an arid region prone to water shortages.

“As much as 110,000 acres of additional land for transfer is in adjacent districts,” Nikkei Asia reported citing the documents.

The land would be leased for up to 30 years, where the army is expected to grow cash crops such as wheat, cotton and sugarcane, as well as vegetables and fruit, with 20 per cent of any profit earmarked for farming research and development.

The rest would be divided equally between the army and state government, according to leaked government documents accessed by Nikkei Asia.

<h2>Pakistan army to takeover one million acres of farmland to boost food production</h2>

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<h2>Army to become biggest landowner&nbsp;</h2>

Critics fear that the move could solidify the army’s status as the biggest landowner in Pakistan that could have otherwise been tasked to 25 million poor rural households.

There has been some resistance as the matter was heard in the Lahore High Court to halt the land transfer, but that ruling was overturned by another bench in July.

A small firm, Fongrow, has been tasked to oversee the farming in the barren lands.

Fongrow is part of an army conglomerate set up to provide employment for retired military personnel. According to its website, it has claimed to have developed a 2,250-acre corporate farm that grows cotton and corn in Punjab as a "test bed," with a 135 per cent boost to average crop yields.

It was unclear if any of the land to be transferred was already being farmed or controlled by small landowners, but Fongrow manager Muhammad Zahid Aziz disputed it was an issue.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-journalist-imran-riaz-khan-reunites-with-family-after-going-missing-for-5-months-639360">Pak journalist Imran Riaz Khan reunites with family after going missing for 5 months</a>

"It is all barren land, so there is no question of farmers being displaced," he told Nikkei Asia.

<h2>Army says want to boost food production&nbsp;</h2>

In a press conference on April 25, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director general of the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, was asked about the corporate farming project. He said that food security was a challenge for Pakistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-40-population-slips-below-poverty-line-world-bank-sounds-alarm-bell-639087">Pakistan: 40% population slips below poverty line, World Bank sounds alarm bell</a>

“In developing and developed countries their governments have used the military, in some way or the other, to improve the agriculture sector,” he said.

What role the military can play in making lands more cultivable was in the end the decision of the provincial and federal government, he added, according to a report in The News International website.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Pakistan Army is planning to take over large swathes of land owned by the government to boost food production, Nikkei Asia has reported, amidst concerns over the all-powerful military’s growing presence in the functioning of the country.

Pakistan Army is planning to take over large swathes of land owned by the government to boost food production, Nikkei Asia has reported, amidst concerns over the all-powerful military’s growing presence in the functioning of the country. The fact that the army, which has significant influence over politics and foreign policy of the country, now intends to mark its presence in the agricultural sector has triggered concerns. According to the report, the army will acquire up to 1 million acres, or 405,000 hectares, of land in eastern Punjab province, which is three times the size of Delhi or about 5,500 times of Beijing's Forbidden City. The land is purportedly in the Cholistan Desert—an arid region prone to water shortages. “As much as 110,000 acres of additional land for transfer is in adjacent districts,” Nikkei Asia reported citing the documents. The land would be leased for up to 30 years, where the army is expected to grow cash crops such as wheat, cotton and sugarcane, as well as vegetables and fruit, with 20 per cent of any profit earmarked for farming research and development. The rest would be divided equally between the army and state government, according to leaked government documents accessed by Nikkei Asia. Pakistan army to takeover one million acres of farmland to boost food production Army to become biggest landowner Critics fear that the move could solidify the army’s status as the biggest landowner in Pakistan that could have otherwise been tasked to 25 million poor rural households. There has been some resistance as the matter was heard in the Lahore High Court to halt the land transfer, but that ruling was overturned by another bench in July. A small firm, Fongrow, has been tasked to oversee the farming in the barren lands. Fongrow is part of an army conglomerate set up to provide employment for retired military personnel. According to its website, it has claimed to have developed a 2,250-acre corporate farm that grows cotton and corn in Punjab as a "test bed," with a 135 per cent boost to average crop yields. It was unclear if any of the land to be transferred was already being farmed or controlled by small landowners, but Fongrow manager Muhammad Zahid Aziz disputed it was an issue. Also read | Pak journalist Imran Riaz Khan reunites with family after going missing for 5 months "It is all barren land, so there is no question of farmers being displaced," he told Nikkei Asia. Army says want to boost food production In a press conference on April 25, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the director general of the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, was asked about the corporate farming project. He said that food security was a challenge for Pakistan. Also read | Pakistan: 40% population slips below poverty line, World Bank sounds alarm bell “In developing and developed countries their governments have used the military, in some way or the other, to improve the agriculture sector,” he said. What role the military can play in making lands more cultivable was in the end the decision of the provincial and federal government, he added, according to a report in The News International website. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pakistan Army taking over govt land for farming to boost food production: Report

Pakistan is crumbling under skyrocketing prices of fuel, sugar and flour. People are protesting against rising electricity bills. WION brings you voices from ground zero and how they are dealing with the chaos. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Pakistanis speak against the economic chaos | Is the government listening?

Pakistan's unprecedented crisis of food, stemming from years of economic mismanagement amid country's support for cross-border terrorism, was debated in Islamabad's senate on Friday. Country's opposition leaders targeted&nbsp;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition and held the federal government responsible for the country's ongoing shortage of wheat.&nbsp;

Pakistan's federal food minister Tariq Bashir Cheema blamed individual provinces for the massive hike in the price of wheat flour, which opposition leaders claimed was Islamabad's operative method&nbsp;of denying federal responsibility for the ongoing crisis.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explained-with-pm-abroad-pakistanis-struggle-to-put-food-on-table-economy-on-track-551157">Explained: With PM abroad, Pakistanis struggle to put food on table, economy on track</a>

The federal food minister alleged that policies of provincial administrations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's 'Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf' party, gave way to the widely reported visuals of long queues outside the government-operated stores that sell flour among other essential food staples.

The visuals of Pakistani citizens scrambling to secure supply of wheat flour for themselves have gone viral on social media in recent days.&nbsp;

The latest visuals coming from&nbsp;India's impoverished northwestern neighbour show people pushing and shoving each other to hold on to a bag of wheat flour.

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This is how food crises looks in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a>. Hunger stricken people eagerly wait for their pack of flour while another person is seen pushing them into the gutter nearby. <a href="https://t.co/ql0ZNNcUHO">pic.twitter.com/ql0ZNNcUHO</a>
— Veer Vikram Mukherjee (@MukherjeeVeer) <a href="https://twitter.com/MukherjeeVeer/status/1614214088481210369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Wheat flour Rs 165/kg, live chicken sold at Rs 390/kg: Pakistan senator

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, quoted the statistics of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, adding that the price of a 20kg wheat flour bag was Rs 3,300 whereas live chicken was being sold at a price of Rs 390/kg as of January 6. He asked government if the country has enough stocks, why they aren't reaching the people.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pakistan-is-running-out-of-money-food-fuel-550853">Gravitas: Pakistan is running out of money, food, fuel</a>

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"I am surprised that enough wheat is available in the silos but who is stealing the flour and chicken; who is stealing the dollars," he said.

The senator further alleged that the wheat was being smuggled into Afghanistan.&nbsp;

"Who is smuggling flour to Afghanistan," Senator Mushtaq Ahmed questioned.

"The hoarders and flour smugglers are sitting in parliament," he added.&nbsp;

People cannot live without wheat flour: PPP senator

Senator Robina Khalid of People's Party of Pakistan, the party of country's foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province remain terribly affected by the ongoing food crisis.&nbsp;

"It is unfortunate that there was a huge difference in prices of the commodity," she said.&nbsp;

She said that the people could "live without gas and electricity, but not without flour," The Dawn reported.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pakistan's federal government has clarified that the country has spent Rs $4.6 billion on the import of edible oil and $2 billion on wheat. The federal food minister has asked provincial governments to expand measures to increase cultivation area for edible oil and wheat.

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Pakistan's unprecedented crisis of food, stemming from years of economic mismanagement amid country's support for cross-border terrorism, was debated in Islamabad's senate on Friday.

Pakistan's unprecedented crisis of food, stemming from years of economic mismanagement amid country's support for cross-border terrorism, was debated in Islamabad's senate on Friday. Country's opposition leaders targeted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition and held the federal government responsible for the country's ongoing shortage of wheat. Pakistan's federal food minister Tariq Bashir Cheema blamed individual provinces for the massive hike in the price of wheat flour, which opposition leaders claimed was Islamabad's operative method of denying federal responsibility for the ongoing crisis. ALSO READ | Explained: With PM abroad, Pakistanis struggle to put food on table, economy on track The federal food minister alleged that policies of provincial administrations in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan's 'Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf' party, gave way to the widely reported visuals of long queues outside the government-operated stores that sell flour among other essential food staples. The visuals of Pakistani citizens scrambling to secure supply of wheat flour for themselves have gone viral on social media in recent days. The latest visuals coming from India's impoverished northwestern neighbour show people pushing and shoving each other to hold on to a bag of wheat flour. This is how food crises looks in #Pakistan. Hunger stricken people eagerly wait for their pack of flour while another person is seen pushing them into the gutter nearby. pic.twitter.com/ql0ZNNcUHO — Veer Vikram Mukherjee (@MukherjeeVeer) January 14, 2023 × Wheat flour Rs 165/kg, live chicken sold at Rs 390/kg: Pakistan senator Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, quoted the statistics of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, adding that the price of a 20kg wheat flour bag was Rs 3,300 whereas live chicken was being sold at a price of Rs 390/kg as of January 6. He asked government if the country has enough stocks, why they aren't reaching the people. WATCH | Gravitas: Pakistan is running out of money, food, fuel × "I am surprised that enough wheat is available in the silos but who is stealing the flour and chicken; who is stealing the dollars," he said. The senator further alleged that the wheat was being smuggled into Afghanistan. "Who is smuggling flour to Afghanistan," Senator Mushtaq Ahmed questioned. "The hoarders and flour smugglers are sitting in parliament," he added. People cannot live without wheat flour: PPP senator Senator Robina Khalid of People's Party of Pakistan, the party of country's foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province remain terribly affected by the ongoing food crisis. "It is unfortunate that there was a huge difference in prices of the commodity," she said. She said that the people could "live without gas and electricity, but not without flour," The Dawn reported. Meanwhile, Pakistan's federal government has clarified that the country has spent Rs $4.6 billion on the import of edible oil and $2 billion on wheat. The federal food minister has asked provincial governments to expand measures to increase cultivation area for edible oil and wheat. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

‘Who is stealing our chickens and wheat,’ asks Pakistan senator amid ongoing food crisis