Wheat procurement drive by Passco in full swing

Wheat procurement drive by the Punjab Food Department and the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) is in full swing and till date both the agencies collectively procured over 2.4 million tons of grain from the growers.
According to Passco sources, till date it procured over 600,000 tonnes of wheat from the areas designated to it across the country under wheat procurement drive 2013. They claimed that distribution of gunny bags amongst the growers is also underway in a very transparent manner and officers of the Corporation are monitoring the whole process in different zones.
Passco Managing Director Major General Tauqeer Ahmad also under took the visit of different zones formed by the Corporation and listened to the problems being faced by the growers and issued on the spot orders for solution. He directed the Passco officials to strictly implement the wheat policy so as the growers could get due compensation of their produce and labour. He said basic objective of this exercise of the Corporation is to save growers from clutches of Arhtis and middlemen and stabilise the wheat prices in the open market.
Meanwhile, according to the Punjab Food Department sources it procured over 1.866 million tons of wheat during its ongoing wheat procurement drive. Yesterday it purchased 161,085 million tons of wheat. Distribution of gunny bags among the growers is also continued and till date the department distributed bardana sufficient for over 2.7 million tons of wheat.