ISLAMABAD: Pakistan faced an initial shortfall of three million metric tonnes in wheat production in the current fiscal year, ie, 2022-23, the federal government admitted before the upper house of the parliament on Thursday.
“Initially, a shortfall of 3 MMTs was assessed. Later on, after the re-verification of carry-forward stocks and stock position, the net shortfall was reported at the level of 2.60 MMTs,” the Ministry of National Food Security and Research informed the Senate in its sitting presided over by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.
The ministry’s written statement was in response to a question posed by Zeeshan Khanzada from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).The senator sought from the federal government the details of the volume of production, consumption and shortfall of wheat in the country during the current fiscal year; and the steps being taken for uniform wheat prices across the country during the current fiscal year.
The ministry’s reply stated that wheat production in the current fiscal year (till date) was recorded at 26.389 MMTs, carry-forward stock was 2.031 MMTs, total wheat availability was 28.42 MMT against the national wheat requirement of 30.79 MMTs.
The ministry said the federal government is committed to announce the profitable support price before the next wheat sowing season.
In this context, it said, following steps are being taken to announce a uniform support price of wheat: Agriculture Policy Institute (API) has worked out cost of production of wheat crop. Meeting of wheat board was convened to sensitise provincial governments on the issue of support price of wheat.
Follow-up letters were sent to provinces with the request to submit endorsement of their respective cabinets as well as other steps taken, the ministry informed. Earlier, speaking on the floor of the house, Leader of the Opposition in Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem strongly condemned the arrest of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry.
“He (Chaudhry) only remarked on the attitude of ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan). His arrest soon after caretaker chief minister in Punjab came at the helm is extremely shameful,” he said. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani also condemned Chaudhry’s arrest. “He was my colleague and member of my cabinet. The minister concerned should gave statement on this issue. I think he will,” Gillani said.
State Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that no backdoor diplomacy between India and Pakistan was currently underway. She said relations between the two states deteriorated by a number of provocative steps by India.
She said the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) documentary banned by India vindicated Pakistan’s viewpoint on the Gujrat massacre. Khar said Pakistan wants its eastern and western borders to remain peaceful. She termed the opening of Kartarpur Corridor a positive development to improve ties between India and Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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