The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) is still undecided about allowing export of surplus wheat, as procurement targets and provisional estimates of the commodity touched 21.7 million tons while procurement in Punjab is still going on.
Sources in the Ministry told Business Recorder on Saturday that total wheat production during the current season has touched 21.7 million tons with Punjab having 16.8 million tons, Sindh 2.9 million tons, NWFP 1.3 million tons and Balochistan 0.7 million tons, but the Minfal might not lift ban on wheat export due to pressure from various quarters.
All three major commodities, wheat, maize and rice are in excess, they said, adding that the latter two crops were bumper ie maize 3.5 million tons and rice 55 million tons while wheat is also close to the target of 22 million tons.
Punjab already has a carryover stock of over 2 million tons and the country has total consumption of 22 million tons including export to Afghanistan, which clearly indicates that the country has surplus of 2 million tons wheat.
Ministry does not have the backing of National Assembly Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture and Livestock regarding wheat export, as it wanted announcement from the Ministry to ensure the support price of the commodity to the growers, sources said.
As much of the commodity has been sold by the farmers at throwaway prices, it was either procured by food department or purchased by the private sector, therefore, the committee was of the view that the export of the commodity would benefit the food department and not the growers, they added.
"Ministry of Finance will not allow export of the commodity at any cost, as it does not want to face any wheat crisis and wants to ensure food security for the citizens", sources in the Finance Ministry said.
They said that Finance Ministry had faced strong opposition from Minfal for importing wheat in 2005, which the Minfal considered was the main reason for not ensuring support price of the commodity during the current season.
However, agriculture experts are of the view the allowing export of wheat would lead to more production of wheat, as the current sowing area has the capacity of producing over 30 million tons, but support price of wheat procured at Rs 370 during the season left the growers least interested in the produce, they added.
"If they (growers) get reasonable price of the commodity, they will pay more attention to the crop by using more inputs and this can only take place by allowing export", they added. Another reason for not allowing wheat export is a strong lobby of wheat importers, which never want to see the country rid of this trouble of importing the commodity, said a progressive farmer.
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