Passco will set up 250 centres to procure wheat

Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) will set up 250 centres for the procurement of 1.5 million tons of wheat in the areas allotted to it in Punjab and Sindh provinces during the procurement season 2009. Sources in the corporation disclosed this here on Monday while talking to Business Recorder.
They said that the corporation was fully prepared to meet the task assigned to it this season. Last year the procurement target was 1.4 million tons and it has been increased by 100,000 tons this season and procurement will start by the first week of April 2009.
They said that the corporation has a carry over gunny bags of nearly 400,000 tons and had placed order for gunny bags for 1.5 million tons of wheat. They said that hopefully they would receive the gunny bags sufficient for 840,000 tons of wheat till the end of March while rest would be received during the next month. They said that they have arranged gunny bags more than the target, in case if there is a need to have further procurement.
In Punjab the corporation would be buying wheat from Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Minchanabad, Burewala, Mailsi, Mian Channu, Khanpur, Kehror Pakka, Lodhran, Alipur, Gojra, Layyah, Hafizabad and Pindi Bhattian while in Sindh it would be buying wheat from Kandiaro and Khairpur areas, the sources added. Regarding the payment to the farmers, the sources stated that the farmers would be paid the government-announced price besides Rs seven per bag as delivery charges.
In order to make the procurement procedure transparent, the corporation is setting up supervisory committees of three members each. It will comprise of one elected representative of the area such as Nazim, Lumberdar or other, one progressive grower and one Passco staff.
If any grower have complaint against this committee then another committee would be formed at Tehsil level having Passco zonal head of the Tehsil concerned, one elected representative and one grower from the opposition party. The numbers of the high ups of the corporation would also be publicised for lodging of complaints on any irregularity, the sources concluded.