Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a special video-link meeting on Tuesday to review the wheat and flour situation in the province. The meeting decided to procure one million metric tonnes of wheat from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).
The chief minister approved the purchase of wheat from PASSCO. The meeting took decision to ensure stability in wheat and flour prices across the province. Under the plan, the provincial government will procure wheat from PASSCO to stabilise flour rates and the wheat market. The government will provide wheat to flour mills at Rs3,300 per maund. Punjab government said it has taken to ensure the availability of affordable flour and bread for the public.
The meeting also reviewed concerns regarding the alleged restriction on the supply of wheat from Punjab to other provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. The authorities presented a detailed report to the participants.
Wheat Supply from Punjab to KP and Sindh:
During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that claims regarding restrictions on wheat supply from Punjab to any province were not supported by facts. They stated that they had not received any complaint regarding the suspension of wheat supplies to Sindh.
The authorities brief the meeting that the process of wheat stock declaration in Punjab was continuing. And that comprehensive data compilation was in progress. Officials said they are collecting stock data to assess and fulfil the province’s food requirements. They told the participants that the grain size of the current wheat crop was comparatively smaller than usual.
The meeting decided that after meeting its own food requirements, Punjab would fulfil its responsibility of supplying wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The chief minister directed the relevant authorities to continue monitoring the wheat situation. And ensure measures aimed at maintaining market stability and safeguarding consumers’ interests.
