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Thursday March 28, 2024

Volume, method of wheat procurement to be changed: Aleem Khan

By Our Correspondent
May 31, 2020

LAHORE : Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan expressed views on the situation of wheat and flour in Punjab and other important issues of the departments, saying that wheat procurement has been a joint effort of the departments concerned.

He stated this while presiding over a meeting here on Saturday. Abdul Aleem Khan said that full procurement of wheat this year is a joint achievement of the departments concerned. He said, “Punjab spends a huge amount of money to procure wheat and next year we will change the volume and method of procurement of wheat.” Punjab Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharat, Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Agriculture Minister Malik Noman Langarial attending the meeting through video link and briefed the meeting about the performance of their departments.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that procurement of wheat at the government level has almost completed. “We not only have come close to our target, but the record of the last 10 years has been broken in Punjab by making record purchases,” he said.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that by stopping the purchase of wheat in Punjab, arrangements are being made for the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which the food departments of both provinces will adopt joint strategy. Similarly, flour mills and seed companies can buy as much wheat as they want in Punjab. He made it clear that he would take all the stakeholders into confidence for change in the next year's wheat policy.

Malik Noman Langarial apprised the meeting about the damage caused to the crops, especially by the current locust attack, while Industry Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal spoke about the price of flour and related departments. It was decided in the meeting that after consultation of the Food Department and Flour Mills Association, the matter of flour prices would be decided by the district administration in each division.

The Punjab chief secretary and food secretary also briefed the meeting regarding the situation of wheat and flour in the province. Meanwhile, an 8-member delegation of Pakistan Flour Mills Association led by its Chairman Asim Raza called on Punjab Food Secretary Waqas Ali Mahmood.

Director Food Wajid Ali Shah and Flour Mills Punjab Chairman Abdul Rauf Mukhtar Awan were also present. It was agreed in the meeting that Food Department and Flour Mills Association will work together for bringing the stability in flour prices in the market. Pakistan Flour Mills Association Chairman Asim Raza said that the association has not issued any increased rate for flour bag in Punjab. Food Secretary Waqas Ali Mahmood while addressing the meeting said that flour mills will have a permission to purchase wheat from any division of Punjab on cheap rates. Food Department will facilitate them in this regard.

Waqas Ali Mahmood said that Punjab Food Department and Punjab Flour Mills Association will work together on mutual strategy and all the problems faced by flour mills will be solved.

After achieving the target of 4 million metric tonne wheat procurement, a summary has been sent to the chief minister to stop further procurement of wheat, the food secretary said.