Punjab is facing a crippling shortage of wheat after the devastating floods induced by record-breaking monsoon rainfalls damaged the crop in large quantities.
According to reports, 300,000 tons of stored wheat have been completely wasted due to the recent floods in Rajanpur and Fazilpur districts, leaving the province on the verge of a flour crisis.
Punjab Food Department has already written to the Federal Government, seeking immediate permission for the import of 1 million tons of wheat to address the prevailing shortage.
As a result of the shortage of wheat, the prices of flour across the province have skyrocketed, creating difficulties for citizens already overburdened by the highest inflation in nearly 5 decades.
Speaking in this regard, Chairman Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Asim Raza Ahmed, warned that Punjab could face severe flour shortage if the current situation remains unaddressed.
Punjab’s current wheat quota is 16,700 tons per day. The province’s requirement has jumped to 25,000 tons following the floods. Chairman PFMA requested the Federal Government to immediately increase the wheat quota of Punjab.
Last month, Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) officials briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security about the losses of stored crops in the aftermath of floods. They revealed that wheat worth billions of Rupees has been damaged across the country.
Separately, a report by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) last month revealed that the total losses to the crops across the country have exceeded Rs. 320 billion.
The report highlighted that 2,845,046 acres of cropland in Sindh have either been completely or partially damaged, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has lost 14,397 acres, and Balochistan has lost 108,295 acres. However, it is worth mentioning here that the MNFSR report did not reveal the extent of damage sustained by Punjab.
Via: ARY News
