FPCCI seeks probe into wheat import

ISLAMABAD: The wheat farmers are reeling from the government's decision to import 70 vessels of wheat, despite a bumper crop forecast, which has sparked a backlash and drained over $1 billion from the country's finances, a business leader said on Wednesday.

Ahmad Jawad, head of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI) Standing Committee on Agriculture said it is important for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to broaden the scope of the ongoing inquiry on the unwarranted wheat import despite opposition by the provinces.

"The miscalculated decision has caused an outflow of more than a billion dollars at a time when this cash-strapped country needs to save every single dollar, despite the fact that we could have utilized the strategic reserves as a special arrangement knowing the bumper crop was on its way," Jawad said.

The Provincial Crop Reporting Services had reported that wheat crop sowing of over 22.63 million acres against the target of 22.22 million acres shows healthy progress of over 101 percent.

"If the weather supplements the crop, it is expected that this year the country would achieve its production target of 32 million tonnes."Jawad raised several questions about the government’s decisions. He questioned the need for importing 70 vessels of wheat and compromising farmers’ interests, the reduction in the procurement target without warning, the sudden change in the procurement procedure from written forms to an online app, and the delay in procuring even the unfairly reduced quantity.

"When Pakistan’s farmers started harvesting their wheat at the beginning of April, the country’s national and provincial food storage department was holding excessive wheat in its stocks," Jawad said.

"Now the situation is that the Punjab and Sindh food departments are unable to procure wheat from farmers, at the announced price Rs3,900 and Rs4,000 respectively per maund."In Punjab alone after collecting data from different districts, the food department and their godowns are effectively closed for issuance of the gunny bags.