A meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has been informed by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research that provinces and the PASSCO have so far procured only 3.422 million tons wheat against or 41.9 percent of the target of 8.25 million set for the fiscal year 2020.

The ECC meeting presided over by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on May 5, 2020, was briefed on wheat procurement figures of May 4, 2020 and slow progress of wheat procurement did not go down well, according to an official.

Soon after the Ministry of National Food, Security and Research briefing was over, the meeting expressed concern over slow procurement of wheat in general, and wanted the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan particularly to speed up the procurement process.

The ministry informed that pubic sector had reported their daily progress of wheat procurement on May 4, 2020 with Punjab 2.009 million tons against the target of 4.5 million tons, Sindh 706,889 metric tons against the target of 1.4 million metric tons, whereas KP procured 1348 metric tons against the target of 4,5000 metric tons.

The meeting was informed that procurement progress was zero so far by the Balochistan province against the target of 100,000 metric tons.

The meeting was informed that procurement by the PASSCO was 704,660 metric tons (39.15 percent) against the target of 1.8 million tons.

The meeting was informed that the ECC on March 12, 2020, approved procurement targets of public sector at the level of 8.25 million tons.

The meeting was informed that Punjab started procurement on April 11, 2020 and on daily average procured 83,748 tons per day (24 days), Sindh started procurement on March 28, 2020 and on daily average procured 19,105 tons per day (37 days), and the PASSCO started procurement on March 29, 2020, and on daily average procured 19,574 tons per day (36 days).

The meeting was further told that Punjab's share in the public procurement was 54.55 with 4.5 million target in the total wheat procurement target set for the current fiscal year followed by Sindh 16.97 percent with 1.4 million wheat procurement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5.45 percent with 0.650 million metric tons, Balochistan share is 1.21 percent with 0.100 million metric tons, while share of the PASSCO in the wheat procurement is 21.82 percent, with 1.8 million tons wheat procurement for 2020.

An official said the ECC expressed reservations on slow procurement of wheat, and noted that the KP and Balochistan were asked to speed up the procurement process.