CHITRAL: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department has commenced the wheat procurement process in Lower Chitral district, purchasing 3,492 tonnes of wheat directly from farmers so far.
Speaking to media at the main warehouse Chitral city, District Food Controller Arshad Hussain and Assistant Food Controller Riaz Ahmad stated that the provincial government had decided to buy wheat directly from farmers.
“The quality of wheat is inspected before purchase at the warehouse of the Food Department,” he added.
The provincial government has established procurement committees at the district level, comprising the district administration, the agriculture department, and other stakeholders, to oversee both the quality and quantity of the wheat.
The purchase price for wheat in Chitral has been set at Rs3,900 per 40kg, equivalent to Rs115 per kilogram. However, the selling price remains at Rs4,600 per 40kg.
DFC Arshad Hussain said that it was the first time in history that wheat was being purchased directly from farmers at the district level, which will save the provincial treasury billions of rupees.