Govt offered to procure 0.8m tons of wheat from Passco to help stabilise prices

LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has offered the federal government to procure 0.8 million tons of wheat from Passco with the proposal that this grain should be allowed a free movement across the country.

It will help stabilise the wheat and flour prices in the country, flour millers claimed.

A high-level delegation of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) floated this offer during a meeting with the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain in Islamabad on Thursday.

The delegation included Group Leader Asim Raza, Chairman Punjab Riazullah Khan, Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Naeem Butt, Senior Vice Chairman Khurram Maqsood, Deputy Chairman Aamir Rafiq, along with other current and former office-bearers of the association. Former chairman Punjab Iftikhar Ahmad Matto, Raza Ahmad Shah, Khawaja Imran Tariq Sethi, and several mill owners were also part of the delegation.

The PFMA delegation apprised the federal minister of the challenges faced by the flour milling industry and held detailed discussions on key issues including the availability of wheat and wheat-based products in the country, and the release of wheat stocks by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO).

The delegation maintained that if their proposal is implemented by the government, flour and bread—basic necessities of the common man—would be available at controlled rates, thereby reducing inflationary pressures and restoring public confidence.

Furthermore, the PFMA suggested that the government allow import of wheat for value-added processing and export of finished products, which could help boost foreign exchange reserves and contribute to overall economic improvement.

Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain assured the delegation that the government is committed to addressing the genuine concerns of the flour milling sector and will take all possible measures to ensure a level playing field and fair business opportunities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025