The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has set the 2017 wheat procurement price at PKR 1 300 (USD 12.34) per 40 Kg, the same as in the past two years but well above prices in the international market. The decision mainly aims to support farmers against low prices in the international market, while keeping general inflation under check given the high weight of wheat and wheat products in the general Consumer Price Index. Planting of the 2017, mostly irrigated, rabi wheat crop is currently underway and will continue until mid-December and current official forecasts put the 2017 wheat output at a record level of 26 million tonnes, 2 percent up from the 2016 bumper output.