Pakistan has 125,000 tonnes of wheat reserves and the government will procure two million tonnes more in March and April to end the current wheat and flour crisis in the country, Senator Dilawar Abbas, Punjab Minister for Food and Agriculture told a news briefing here on Wednesday.
"Two million tonnes of wheat are being imported, out of which 95,000 tonnes have reached Karachi port," the minister said while briefing media about efforts present government was making to end Atta crisis in the country. District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas and District Coordination Officer Rawalpindi, Irfan Elahi along with the high ups of Food Department were also present on the occasion.
"The government has succeeded in overcoming the wheat crisis by evolving better strategy. The crisis was created artificially by some smugglers and hoarders and it will be no more in coming few days," the minister said.
Minister told the newsmen that in Rawalpindi and Islamabad the demand is almost 80,000 bags of 20 Kg per day but the flour mills of the twin cities are producing almost 130,000 bags per day. He said that according to latest information the flourmills located in twin cities have stock of 150,000 surplus bags and any dealer who wants to buy the flour may contact district administration.
Abbas said that the nation-wide crisis was created by smugglers who passed wheat not only to Afghanistan but Central Asian Republics and even Russia because of low price of the commodity in the country. He revealed that government has taken such measures that would eradicate smuggling of wheat and flour in future.
He said that when the supply of atta would be made normal, the Rangers deployed for the purpose would be withdrawn. "Rawalpindi district administration is providing 59,000 flour bags daily at controlled rate at 58 prescribed points through trucks but with the improvement of normal market mechanism, these points would be reduced gradually," replying a question the DCO added.