Food department Multan will procure 960,000 tonnes wheat in six districts of the defunct Multan division this year, said deputy director Manzoor Hussain Bajwa on Friday. Last year the target was fixed at 1.1 million tonnes but it could not be achieved due to scanty production and only 690,000 tonne wheat was purchased by the Food Department, Multan. But, he added, this year the crop seems to be bumper due to favourable weather conditions and the target is quite achievable.
Talking to APP, the deputy director said that the government has given a green signal to start procurement of the golden grain from today, ie, April 01, which will continue till the target is achieved. He said as many as 500 gunny bags have been issued to the farmers in district Sahiwal. However, the wheat harvest has yet to begin in this region, which had been delayed due to late wet- spell.
District-wise wheat procurement target is as under: Multan 120,000 tonnes, Lodhran 100,000 tonnes, Khanewal 180,000 tonnes, Vehari 180,000 tonnes, Sahiwal 240,000 tonnes and Pakpattan 140,000 tonnes.
Manzoor Hussain Bajwa said a total of 74 procurement centres have been set up across the six districts. The detail is as under: Multan 16 centres, Lodhran six, Khanewal 15, Vehari nine, Sahiwal 20 and Pakpattan eight.
He said the wheat would be purchased at the government's support rate of Rs 400 per 40 kilogram. The golden grain will be procured only from farmers, he added.
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