Punjab fails to realise revised wheat procurement target

LAHORE: Punjab food department’s over-hyped wheat buying campaign ended in a fiasco as it failed to meet even the revised procurement target of 3.81 million tons, procuring only 3.62 million tons, The News has learnt.

The progress of provincial food department, which happens to be the largest buyer of wheat in the country, was below par subpar its recently concluded procurement campaign that was launched with the tall claim of buying four million tons of wheat from growers.

Various office bearers of farmers’ organisations have accused the food department of not initiating the procurement campaign by mid-April as early maturity of grains warrants early response of the government agency.

On the other hand, some farmer leaders believe, provincial food department deceived farmers by not informing them properly about mandatory submission of application. Hence, thousands of farmers failed in showing their willingness to be part of the procurement drive well in time.

The outgoing Punjab chief minister, on April 03, 2018, approved official procurement plan of buying four million tons of wheat from the farmers. As planned, the wheat was to be purchased at the rate of Rs1300 per maund (40 kilogrammes). The provincial government had termed that direct provision of gunny bags to the farmers was an important step, which would eliminate the role of middleman. This initiative was touted to help distribute gunny bags through a transparent and purely merit-based system.

However, later, the department unilaterally curtailed the official wheat procurement target to 3.81 million tons, keeping in view less-than-expected response from the growers. Hence, it could only manage to purchase 3.62 million tons of wheat.

Sources said the main reason that led to under-procurement was a major change in procurement process.

“Many farmers did not have prior knowledge about revised wheat procurement policy. They did not have information about mandatory submitting of application for selling wheat to the department. That’s why many of them were denied their right to sell wheat to government,” a source said.

Talking to The News, Ibrahim Mughhal, Chairman Agri-Forum Pakistan, picked apart the food department officials for their failure in guiding farmers about changes in procurement plan and late start of wheat buying.

“The provincial food department started buying wheat in the last week of April against the fact that harvesting started from first week of the month.

It was a total mess up as bureaucrats failed to catch up the evolving scenario,” Mughhal observed.

As per official data, in major wheat growing districts of Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Multan, Lahore and Gujrawnwala, farmers primarily took a hit due to lack of knowledge about mandatory filing of application within stipulated time. Even wheat procurement targets of some of these largest wheat growing districts were missed by a big margin.

For example, in Rahim Yar Khan, wheat harvest was completed about two weeks earlier due to abnormal rise in temperature. Owing to mismanaged procurement arrangements and late arrival in the market, Punjab food department could only manage to buy 0.118 million tons against last year’s procurement of 0.222 million tons, leaving farmers high and dry.

Same is with the case of Multan district where the department could purchase only 0.118 million tons against the last year’s buying of 0.225 million tons. Farmers of Bahawalpur, Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sahiwal have also been at the receiving end due to this fiasco.

Khalid Mehmood Khokhar, President Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, also expressed resentment over badly managed wheat procurement campaign. Khokhar was of the view that the late start and subsequent slow pace of buying especially if compared with the early harvesting of crop turned out to be against the interest of farmers.

“Mostly middle men got benefits of procurement drive due to loopholes,” he alleged.

Khokhar added that the performance of the food department was totally against the claims made by the provincial government about facilitating wheat growers this year.

Meanwhile, an official on the other hand claimed that this year provincial government facilitated all the farmers who submitted an application for the purchase of wheat from the food department.

The official added that Punjab Land Record Information Management System was also used for distribution of gunny bags during current wheat procurement campaign and no complaints were received.