Atta dealers attribute flour crisis to wheat export

The local atta dealers Saturday attributed the unprecedented increase in the prices of flour to export of commodity and decline of supply to the local market in the country. "The situation has arisen due to the wrong wheat policy of the government and export of wheat," Asif Sethi a mill owner told Business Recorder when contacted.
He said that government has created artificial flour crisis in the country to divert the attention of the people from the coming general elections. The ministry of Minfal, he said has miserably failed in establishing its writ and constitution of control authority for the matter. He said that flourmills have been given less wheat quota as compared to demand in the market.
He said that in NWFP, the flourmills have been given a quota of only 80 bags of wheat for grinding, which is sufficient for only one hour running of the mills. He called for releasing wheat sufficient to grind in at least 8 hours.
Sethi called for immediate stoppage of the export of flour to Afghanistan if, he said, the government was really interested in the resolution of the problem. However, he attributed it to million of tons export of wheat during last financial year.
The short supply of flour has climbed the price of 20-kilogram bag to Rs 360/, which was only four days ago was available at Rs 285 to Rs 290/ per bag. He lamented that wheat is being distributed among its own people on the basis of quota while there is no limitation for the export of the commodity to Afghanistan.
Regarding the export of flour to Afghanistan by the dealers, he said that big chunk of their cash amount has stuck up with the traders of Afghanistan. The local flour dealers are exporting the commodity in the hope of recovery of their stuck amount.
About the huge availability of flour in the market, he said that in response to 1300 bags, the mills are hardly releasing 1000 bags to dealers. In case of delay in banning the export of flour to Afghanistan, the situation would be further deteriorated. He said that flour is also being exported to India from Punjab province of the country, saying the government should ban it with immediate effect to prevent the 1997 like flour crises, which is looming large over the country.
He said that 98 percent flour from the wheat quota of the flourmills in province goes to Afghanistan and alleged that the owners of the flourmills are involved in selling of the quota of their mills through black marketing.