The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA-Punjab) has urged the federal government to immediately announce a long-term wheat export policy besides announcing the issue price. The PFMA also demanded uniform wheat prices besides the steps to dispose of surplus wheat before the arrival of fresh crop in the market after next five months. These demands were raised by PFMA-Punjab Chairman Liaquat Ali Khan and group leader Asim Raza Ahmad and others in a joint statement issued here on Friday.
Liaquat Ali Khan said that the Punjab government should determine the issue price of wheat crop to remove the uncertainty prevailing in the market because of delay in announcing the issue price. He also quoted that Sindh government had already announced issue price some two days back.
The PFMA leaders said that wheat reserves lying with the government departments were more than the domestic requirement but these could not be exported because of a faulty export policy. They also claimed that nutritional value of the crop was reducing with every passing day. He said the govt also lacks storage for wheat so it should announce a long-term export policy keeping in view the international wheat prices. He said it will help recapturing the traditional Afghan market for the local flour industry besides contributing to the national exchequer.