No shortage of wheat in Sindh, says Advisor

The Food Department has a sufficient stock of 6.1 million wheat bags of 100 kilograms each and they are being transported from various districts to Karachi for supply to flour mills. This was stated by the Advisor to CM on Food and Agriculture, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi on Thursday while responding to a query about the shortage of wheat and rise in its prices in the city.
The Advisor said he had already asked the Food Department officials to check the stocks of flour mills as well as private traders. To a question about the hoarding by private trader and some flourmills, he said that the department was planning to take "action" against them.
Jatoi said that Sindh Secretary for Food Sikandar Ali Keerio had held meeting with flourmills owners two days ago and asked them not to increase the flour prices. The Advisor noted that there was no shortage and there was no justification for recent price increase. He categorically said that the government will ensure that flour price should not increase.
Meanwhile, flour millers alleged that hoarding by the unscrupulous stockists and some flour millers was the major reason behind sudden increase in the price of wheat in the city. A leading flour mill owner, told APP that there was no shortage of wheat in the province but the hoarders have stored wheat at 25 to 30 warehouses in the city to create artificial shortage and get extra profit.
They are supplying wheat to flour mills from these warehouses at a rate of Rs 1,255 per 100 kilograms bag, a rise of Rs 40 in just three days, he added. He said that millers were selling 80-kg flour bag at Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,125 while fine flour (maida) which is used by bakeries, biscuit companies and traditional bread makers at Rs 1,300 per 80-kg.
He further alleged that wheat stockists are hoarding wheat to take advantage of monsoon season so that they can sell this stock at higher prices. Owner of a small flourmill said these stockists are the license holders from Food Department and they have to declare their stocks every 15-day to the Food officials. He pointed out that wheat price was stabilised two weeks ago when Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had warned the hoarders to off load their stocks in the market. This had also improved wheat supply to flour mills, he added.
He urged the government to conduct raids on these warehouses and force these hoarders to off load the stocks in the market. He pointed out that during June and July, government does not supply wheat from its godowns as a practice to maintain its wheat stocks. This is a period when private wheat suppliers take advantage of the situation, he noted.