The government has decided to import one million ton wheat to deal with the prevalent situation, and to maintain a reasonable buffer stock for the future. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at a meeting with Federal Ministers and Parliamentarians who raised serious concerns over the shortage of wheat flour in the market especially in Ramazan.
The Prime Minister had claimed in the National Economic Council (NEC) a couple of months ago that wheat production was 23.5 million tons, which was a record. Analysts say when wheat production was 23.5 million tons, against 21 million tons annual consumption, who is responsible for the crisis, adding that authenticity of wheat production figures is also in question.
An official statement quoted the Prime Minister as saying that "the Government has taken serious note of the reported shortage and high prices of flour in various parts of the country despite abundant wheat stocks following the bumper crop this year."
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has already faxed the list of hoarders to the provinces but no action has been taken so far and it appears that some government officials are also involved in hoarding.
An official told Business Recorder that Railways Minister Rashid Ahmad has been critical of the government for last few months for mishandling the wheat situation.
The Prime Minister, expressing government''s concern over this artificial shortage of atta and increase in its prices, said that the provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab have been directed to streamline wheat supply to the flour mills and ensure that liberal releases of wheat are made to operational flour mills only so that atta is made available at reasonable prices in the open market.
"Directives have been issued to all border monitoring and controlling agencies to ensure that the ban on export of wheat by sea and land routes is strictly enforced," the official statement quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister said, the Ministry of Interior has been asked to strictly monitor the measures taken by various agencies in order to check smuggling of wheat throughout the country in close co-ordination with the provincial governments.
The delegation comprised Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Zahid Hamid, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Durrani, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Tariq Azeem Khan, MNAs Raees Munir Ahmad and Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel and Senator Rasheed Ahmad.