Supply to KP being finalised today: Punjab food department asked to stop wheat procurement immediately

Senior & Food Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan has directed the Punjab food department to immediately stop wheat procurement after total stocks of wheat reached 4.3 million metric tons.
Officials have been asked to provide assistance to flour mills and seed companies in procurement of wheat so that these sectors should also have grain in abundance. The Secretary Food Punjab has been directed to send a summary to the Chief Minister Punjab to stop further procurement of wheat.
The decision to this effect has been taken at a high-level meeting of the food department held here on Friday with Senior Minister Punjab Aleem Khan in the chair.
It was noted at the meeting that procurement had set a new record in the last 10 years. However, it may be worth mentioning that the province had set the procurement target for the current year at 4.5 million metric tons.
Expressing satisfaction over this important achievement, the minister asked the department to devise an integrated strategy for the supply of wheat to the province of KP in which the food departments and the chief secretaries of both the provinces should be taken on board so that there was no confusion.
Aleem Khan also directed the food secretary to hold a meeting with the Punjab Flour Mills Association Friday after which the district administration in consultation with the food department and flour mills would determine the price of flour in each division.
He said all borders of Punjab should be sealed to curb smuggling from the province which would help in bringing down the price of wheat. He said it was a good thing that 90 percent target of procurement of wheat by the Punjab Seed Corporation had been achieved. He directed to prepare recommendations for a new policy for approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan under which wheat procurement would be changed next year and wheat would be kept only for government reserves.
Briefing the high-level meeting, the secretary food and director food informed that new instructions were being issued to all officers of food department immediately and now flour mills and seed companies in every district would be given support in the procurement of wheat.
It was decided at the meeting that the future course of action would be decided in consultation with the Chief Secretary Punjab on Saturday and especially the issues regarding the supply of wheat to the province KP would be finalised.