Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research Tariq Bashir Cheema Friday said that the unnecessary crisis of flour in the country was mainly because of less than required release of wheat by the provinces to the flour mills.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said that the Punjab government has now increased the release of wheat to the mills. On January 10, the Punjab government released 26,000 metric tons to the flour mills in Punjab, and instantly the price of wheat flour fell by Rs. 800, he highlighted.
He questioned why the provincial governments are not releasing the wheat stock when the federal government is providing them with the required quantity.
The minister said that the Punjab government requested the federal government to provide them with wheat to meet the shortage. Punjab Food Department has lifted only 37 percent of the quantity allocated from Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO), he added.
Cheema said that there are enough reserves and there is no shortage of wheat, but the slow lifting of wheat stocks from PASSCO warehouses by the provincial governments is causing this crisis. He added that PASSCO is expected to carry forward 1.5 million metric tons of wheat stock this year.
The minister said that there will be a surplus stock of wheat in the county when harvesting of the crop will start in April. If provinces do not lift the demanded stock by that time from PASSCO warehouses, then the imported wheat on the demand of provinces will be of no use, he said. He said that precious foreign reserves were spent to import this wheat at the request of the provinces.
He highlighted that after the 18th Amendment, it is the responsibility of the provincial governments to ensure the availability of essential items in the market and control prices, but provinces have failed to do so. He said that the provinces have the required infrastructure and resources but they have failed to maintain check and control on the prices.
Cheema said that the subsidized wheat which is provided to flour mills is being sold at a higher price by the mills. He demanded provincial governments to take strict action against smugglers, profiteers, and hoarders.
The minister said that when he asked the provinces about the reason for not releasing enough wheat stocks, they had no answer. He said that the prices of wheat have gone down since the provinces have increased their release.
Cheema said that the decision to import 2.6 million MT of wheat was made after consultation with the provincial government. He said that 1.3 million MT has already reached Pakistan, 400,000 tons of wheat is lying at the port and 800,000 MT of wheat will be delivered within a month.
