KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, keeping in view growing wheat flour prices in the market, has ordered all the divisional commissioners and DIGs to seal borders to stop wheat smuggling to other countries and also start operation against hoarders.

He took this decision while presiding over a meeting of the food department to review wheat stocks and flour prices all over Sindh. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Hari Ram, Mukesh Chawla, Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Said Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, Secretary Food Laiq Ahmed. The divisional commissioners and DIGs of the divisions other than Karachi joined the meeting through video link.

Wheat stocks: Minister Food Hari Ram and Secretary Food Laiq Ahmed briefing the chief minister on wheat stocks as on July 9, 2020 said that 6.840 MMTs of wheat was available in the country, including 4.283 MMTs in Punjab, 1.262 Sindh, 0.065 MMTs in KPK, 0.092 MMTs in Balochistan and 1.138 PASSCO. At this, the chief minister said that during the corresponding period of 2019 the wheat stocks of 7.758 MMTs were available. "This shows a shortfall of 0.918 MMTs stocks this year," he said.

Wheat production: The chief minister was told that the national target of wheat production was set at 27.030 MMTs against which 25.457 MMTs was produced which showed a shortfall of 1.573 MMTs. At this, Murad Ali Shah said that Sindh had set a wheat production target of 3.8 MMTs against which we produced 3.852 MMTs that showed a 0.052 MMTs surplus while all other provinces failed to achieve their production target.

Availability & Consumption: The chief minister said that the consumption of wheat during 2020-21 has been estimated at 27.470 MMTs against which the wheat stock available in the country was 26.059 MMTs that showed a shortfall of 1.411 MMTs.

Shah said that the shortfall was not so much that the wheat/flour prices have started going up during these months when wheat crop has been harvested recently. "This is the result of wheat smuggling to other countries and we have to stop it with strict action,' he said and added that due to smuggling the wheat stocks in the private sector have run out in some provinces. That was why flour prices have increased there, he observed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020