The Meeting of the wheat review committee was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, here in Islamabad today. The meeting was attended by provincial Minister for Food, Punjab, Secretaries and representatives of State Bank of Pakistan; Floor mills Associations, wheat exporters, representatives of agriculture/food departments of four provinces, GB and AJK, MD PASSCO and senior officials and experts from the Federal Ministry. For the year 2018-19 all provinces have accumulated quantity of 24.279 million tons and with the addition of leftover stock of 3.721 million tons and total availability would be 28.00 million tons which is above the national/domestic requirement which is around 25.84 million tons. The meeting was held to review the procurement of wheat (up till now), Price of per 40kg across the country, market situation, Loss during the rain, Export and future strategy. Federal Minister asked the representatives of the provinces to apprise about the current stock situation in their respective provinces and price and quality assessment mechanism of the wheat. PASSCO as per ascribed targets procured almost 100% of its targets and can provide wheat for national and export purposes. Federal Minister stressed the need to determine the cause of price variation and upward trend of wheat and put forward concrete solution, one the solutions could be government (s) intervention through release of wheat in the open market to discourage the hoarding for undue profit. Moreover the Federal Minister suggested that one of the measures could be regulation on the export and import of wheat. Federal Minister was apprised that feed companies are also one of the reasons for apparent shortage and price hike; hence we need more grinding than trading otherwise the dearth may likely to prevail. Federal Minister also directed that the private sector procurement of wheat must also be assessed, price monitoring system could also be devised and also provincial governments keeping in view the price hike and gravity of situation must release wheat from local stocks. It was also pointed out that wheat seed requirement for next sowing would be assessed and proper plans be devised for a steady availability of the quality seed from various public and private sources Federal Minister Mehboob Sultan reiterated that there must be a crackdown against the hoarders who are responsible not only for price hike but uncertainty in the country or parts thereof. *****
PREVIOUS NEXT
