The Food Department, Multan Region, has procured 685,602 tonnes of wheat at its 67 centres till July 2, 2004.
Food Deputy Director Arif Raza Bukhari told APP that this year's procurement target has been fixed at 1.1 million tonnes for the Multan Region. So, the achievement stands at 62.32 percent.
He said the Punjab government has made the flour mills dutybound to sell 53 tonnes of the commodity per body (flour mill grinding unit) to the food department, adding this year, the procurement target seems to be difficult to achieve as there is a dearth of grains for the following reasons:
(i) the production declined due to under-grown grain because of early rise of temperature and water scarcity, (ii) the commodity rates on the open market are higher than that fixed as support price of Rs 360 per 40 kg.
In the 1999, when the farmers faced an acute cotton price crisis, General Pervez Musharraf increased the wheat procurement price to Rs 300 per 40-kg with a big push.
Emboldened by the government policy, the growers not only raised the sown area of the per acre, but also escalated yield and the Punjab's purchase centres were filled to capacity in 2000. Rather the upward target had to be revised by the food department several times.
The Food deputy director said a total of 67 procurement centres have been set up in six districts which include Multan (15), Lodhran (6), Vehari (nine), Sahiwal (20), Pakpattan (8), and Khanewal (9)centres.
The district-wise purchase till July 2 along with the target is as under:
Multan 88,918 tonnes (target 0.2 million tonnes) Lodhran 64,092 tons (0.12 million tonnes), Vehari 121,658 tonnes (0.2 million tonnes), Sahiwal 198,443 tons (0.24 million tonnes), Pakpattan 85,092 tonnes (0.14 million tonnes), and Khanewal 127,399 tonnes (0.2 million tonnes).
He said the wheat procurement drive is likely to continue till July 31.
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