Sindh government urged to dispose of stored wheat to millers

The Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) on Friday urged the Sindh Government to dispose of stored wheat to flour millers to ensure its fresh procurement in the next season.
Briefing the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research held at the office of Sindh's Chief Secretary, Passco's managing director Muhammad Khan Khichi said he feared that non-disposal of accumulated stocks will force Passco to either not to seek procurement at all or enter with a much reduced target in 2018, which will adversely affect the interest of Sindh's wheat growers. The committee meeting was chaired by its chairman, Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah. The Chief Secretary and officials from the provincial food department were among those present on this occasion.
He said that for the last few years Passco's wheat stocks have piled up. On the other hand, disposal of stocks from Sindh by the Army has been reduced due to the ongoing security operations easing up of the situation in FATA and significant reduction in the Army's annual demand and allocation, and thus disposal of Passco wheat from Sindh has become difficult.
He said the reason Passco approached Sindh government for disposal of its wheat to flour mills. This disposal will allow Passco to procure wheat in Sindh in 2018, he said. He criticised the Sindh government's "cold response" regarding provision of state land for construction of warehouses for wheat. However, Senator Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked both Passco and the Sindh government to settle the issue within a couple of months and submit a report in this regard to the committee.
During last wheat procurement in 2017, Passco procured more than 100,000 metric tons of wheat in compliance with the directions of the prime minister, growing demands of public representatives and growers of the areas. A meeting under the chairmanship of Sindh's Food Secretary with the Deputy Commissioners and representatives of Passco was held on August 25 to discuss the issue regarding availability of land for Passco, but no progress has yet been made in this regard.
The Deputy Commissioners of Tando Allah Yar, Sanqhar and Mirpur Khas have informed Passco that no state land is available in their districts. The Deputy Commissioners of Naushero Feroze and Shikarpur had promised to complete the identification of land by September 15, but there has been no further response. The Deputy Commissioner of Umar Kot has identified 4-acres plot of land in Deh Vehro Thar in Taluka Umar Kot about two Kilometers away from the town of Umar Kot and has informed the Sindh Food Secretary and Passco.