ISLAMABAD: Private sector has booked 270,000 metric tons of wheat on four vessels for August and September.

Federal Secretary for Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) Omar Hamid Khan consulted with all the chief secretaries on Saturday to review availability and prices of wheat. According to an official, the MNFS&R is taking the measures to ensure availability of wheat and flour at affordable rates. "There will be a policy of zero tolerance against hoarders and not to make any concessions in this regard," the secretary said. He said Sindh would finalise the wheat release policy in the province at the earliest.

Punjab had operationalised its wheat release policy, he said. The secretary said that district administrations would be empowered in each province to evaluate functionality of flour mills. The ECC has already allowed import of wheat. The Ministry of National Food Security and Research said it assured importers to trade in wheat for countering wheat shortage in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020