Punjab Food Department has announced to start wheat procurement drive 2013 from April 20 with a target of buying four million tons of wheat from the growers of the province. However, gunny bags distribution will be started from April 15 to facilitate the growers.
Secretary Food Punjab Irfan Ali while unfolding the wheat procurement policy 2013 here on Friday said that the Punjab Food Department has also successfully arranged Rs 120 billion needed for procurement of four million tons of wheat. Gunny bags distribution will be started among the growers from April 15, which would continue till May 31. While wheat procurement would be started from April 20 and it would continue till June 7. He said all the arrangements in this regard had been finalised and cushion exists for early start of procurement if needed to any reason.
He said that the Punjab Food Department at present had 0.9 million tons of wheat in its reservoirs out of which 400,000 would be consumed by the end of next month. He said that the government would keep 500,000 tons of wheat as strategic reservoirs. He said that the small growers would also be given delivery charges of Rs 7.5 per-bag of 100 kilograms.
Irfan Ali said that growers would be immediately paid of their wheat up to 50 bags but if they brought more than 50 bags then their payment would be made through banks. He said good crop production is expected this year private sector will also be allowed to buy grains besides there will be no ban on transportation of wheat. He said that the rate of wheat would be Rs 1200 per 40 kilograms.
Meanwhile according to sources in the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) the corporation is going to buy 1.6 million tons of wheat this year. The sources said that financial arrangements had been completed to meet this target while around 240 centers had been set up across the country in areas designated to the corporation to facilitate the growers for procurement.