Wheat procurement: FPCCI body challenges Passco’s competence

ISLAMABAD: Standing Committee on Agriculture of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has shown displeasure over ‘incompetence’ of Pakistan Agricultural Storage Services Corporation (Passco) that they yet to start the revised wheat procurement target of 0.4MMT.

FPCCI panel chief on Agriculture, Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad said wheat farmers of Punjab are in serious trouble. The officials of PASSCO stopped the wheat procurement which is a contradiction of the Prime Minister’s directives.

He said that he tried to approach managing director (MD) Passco to apprise on the wheat procurement but continue to unable to meet him. Similarly, we also received numerous complaints on the previous wheat procurement target of 1.4 MMT, that PASSCO mostly Zonal Head’s involved in facilitating the middlemen rather farmers on issuance of gunny bags.

He stated that let’s not forget that the farming community has the most number of families in the whole country associated with it. Upsetting this demographic in this unnecessary manner betrays not just policy incompetence but also a shocking lack of understanding of basic politics.

FPCCI panel chief urged the Prime Minister office to conduct a third party audit on the procurement of wheat done by Passco officials and further issuance the strict directions to the MD Passco to start the revised wheat procurement in a transparent way, so that farmers may offload the wheat in the Passco godowns especially in Punjab.

The official further said we must know the real reasons for this crisis. Why was wheat imported and farmers compromised when there was no need? Why the procurement target was reduced without warning and why the procurement procedure was suddenly changed from written forms to an online app when much of the rural population is not tech-savvy, he asked. Why there is a delay in procuring of even an unfairly reduced quantity? And why are farmers, protesting to protect their rights, being treated like common criminals?

Moreover, the Ministry of National Food and Security (MNFSR) may include the FPCCI representation in the wheat board on immediate basis, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024