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Wheat is a basic food item for the poor and the rich alike. However, for the last two years the whole nation is facing acute shortage of flour and is paying nearly double than the last year's rate.
If, fortunately, the country after facing acute shortage of wheat, receives bumper crop during the current year and starts considering to export the same, does it make any sense? Firstly, the government should think whether is it fulfilling the requirement of the whole nation or not? With the start of exports, the people will be facing high rise in prices, because of shortage.
Then the government would decide to import the same commodity, to meet the demand. Is it not a big joke with the nation? The country has imported nearly 2 million tonnes of wheat since August. Who will make it sure that after the export of wheat, the nation will not face any shortage of flour? The people are still facing rise in flour prices more or less on daily basis. It is the people who are paying heavily for this essential item.
The country has gone through this experience not very long ago. Once there was a bumper crop of wheat, then rightly or wrongly the problem of lack of storage capacity was blown out of proportion resulting in the export, that also at a lower rate. Within no time shortage of wheat and flour became an acute problem leading to import of the same commodity at almost double the price at which it was exported.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2009

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