On Friday, Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFSR) stated that Pakistan is wheat secure till next harvest. Claims of excessive shortage are fallacious. With public sector,4.883 MMT wheat is available. The Provincial Crop Reporting Services informed NFSR that there is shortage of 1.6MMT.Shortfall was decided to be met through import of wheat with 3 pronged strategy, including importation through public, private and GTG basis.
Public sector is importing wheat through Government to Government (GTG) basis in two ways. PASSCO will bring 180,000 Metric Tons(MT) of GTG wheat in November. While TCP got clearance from ECC yesterday, to import 340,000 MT of GTG wheat in coming month. The imported quantities will be distributed amongst Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK) in proportion to what they have ordered/ demanded.
On the other hand public sector is importing wheat through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). TCP has provided a schedule of 29 vessels that will arrive till January 2021 bringing outsized amount of wheat in the country. NFSR is making its best efforts to overcome any future shortage of wheat in the country. State-owned TCP finalised deals to import 1,000,0000 MT of wheat .TCP’s two cargoes have arrived in Pakistan. TCP’s first wheat consignment of 55,125 MT arrived on October 7 and the second shipment of 55,000 MT arrived on 8th October. Resulting in 110,125 MT of wheat. This wheat was forwarded to KPK, for escalating the provincial wheat stock. Another wheat consignment, imported by TCP, is expected to reach Pakistan this week.
At third tier, Private sector has till now imported 0.432 MT of wheat. Out of which 0.470 MMT has been discharged and distributed to Punjab (0.239 MTM),KPK (0.0105MMT) and Sindh (0.221 MMT).If we consider pricing trend in local market, prices are reduced at aroundRs.200 to 300/100 kg bag in all major city centres. Thus effort of NFSR to tap inflation are fruitful now. NFSR is working to build its wheat strategic reserves . Government is also curbing black-marketing and smuggling of wheat.
At the present total stocks of public sector are 4,882,960 tons. With Punjab having stocks of 2,855,969 tons, Sindh at 1,259,395 tons, KPK having 90,035 tons, Balochistan having 63,100 and PASSCO contains 614,461 tons. The situation regarding wheat is looking satisfactory and for next year wheat harvest being panned in a meticulous way that will forestall any potentially aversive situation.
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