Sufficient storage capacity for wheat was available both in public and private sectors as the government has procured about 8.775 million tons of wheat so far. Agriculture Development Commissioner (ADC) in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa) Dr Qadir Bux Baloch told APP here on Monday.
Public sectors like Food Department and Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation (Passco) had the capacity to store more than five million tons of wheat to supply the commodity at the time of requirement, he said. Besides, the private sector had also its own storage facility, Dr Baloch said.
He said that besides the public sector, there were 1,400 flour mills, which were busy in grinding the wheat to produce flour and other bye products of wheat, also had sufficient storage capacity. Denying the shortage of storage capacity and facilities for current bumper wheat crop, Dr Baloch said that with a little efforts and lesser expenditure, the growers could store their output for more than seven months in a safe and scientific method.
"We have not yet received any complain regarding the storage problem neither form the official side nor from the growers or millers," he added. This year, he said the government had decided to release wheat from its official stores to the flourmills before September for smooth supply of the commodity to the people.
The ADC said that due to prudent policies of the government such as timely announcement of minimum grantee price for wheat of Rs 950 per 40 kilograms, use of modern technologies and inputs and their availability in the market and proper management of formers led to achieve the bumper crop of wheat this year.
He said that due to incentives, announced by the government for the growers this year, record per acre yield was achieved. In some areas, the crop output touched 60-77 maund per acre as the government had announced cash price and certificate for farmers, he added.
Giving the latest updates about wheat procurement, he said that in Punjab about 5.630 million tons; in Sindh 1.150 million tons; NWFP about 30,000; and Passco had procured 1.956 million tons during the current wheat procurement campaign.
About the wheat export, the ADC said there was a strict ban on wheat export, however the Minfa had sent a summery to the government, asking for permission to export of wheat products like flour, Maida and other products. "This will help the private sector to procure wheat from the growers and will also help the promotion of our industrial growth, which would indirectly beneficial for the growers and the country," he added.
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