Sugarcane & wheat: Government won't increase support price: minister

Punjab Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry has said that the provincial government does not want to put the burden on the end consumers by increasing the support price of sugarcane or wheat.

He was talking to a 2-member delegation of Kissan Board Pakistan led by its Senior Vice President Mian Farooq Ahmed and Central Secretary-General Shaukat Ali Chadhar which called on him here today. Director Food Wajid Ali Shah was also present on the occasion.

Samiuallah said that the government intends to fix the rate of sugar by the third party according to the ratio of per acre yield production of sugarcane and cost. On the instructions of the provincial government, the food department has safeguarded the rights of sugarcane and wheat farmers. Cultivators have been able to get the full price of their crops timely in this regard; he added and further said that steps have been taken to protect them from the exploitation of the middlemen.

Provincial Minister said that we have achieved the target of procuring 3.3 million metric tons of wheat from the farmers and going to reduce the price of flour. Punjab government is introducing Kissan Card for the welfare of the cultivators. Practical suggestions of Kissan Board Pakistan would be considered by the food department, Samiullah added.

Earlier, the delegation demanded to fix the support price of sugarcane at Rs250 per mound and wheat at Rs1500 per mound.