Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP) has urged the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) to buy at least 3 million tons of wheat during the current season to save the country from any food crisis.
‘Global production of wheat is expected to remain 30 million less than the expectation. A significant portion of the wheat production this year also goes for making bio-fuel by certain countries besides using maize, rice and several other crops to produce fuel for automobiles,’ said AFP Chairman Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal while talking to media persons on Friday.
He said that Pakistan too, this year, might achieve around 24 million tons of wheat against the production target of 25 million tons. This may lead to a crisis like situation in Pakistan, so Passco, which feed Pakistan Army, Fata, AJK, tribal areas and provinces in time of need should buy at least 3 million tons keeping in view the future requirements.
Agri Forum Chairman clarified that short global production may also had an impact on prices of wheat in Pakistan and these could go as high as 1300 to 1400 per maund. While, there are chances of more rains in the month of May, would also create hindrance in harvesting and maintaining quality of wheat production. He claimed that this year Passco also had only a few hundred thousand tons of grains in the store so it should buy during the current procurement drive keeping in view the need of masses as well as seed.
Besides this the government has to store the procured wheat during the month of May at appropriate places and check wheat smuggling with an iron hand, Mughal said and added that the masses should get flour at the rate of Rs 34 per kilogram against the wheat bought at Rs 30 per kilogram.
