The Punjab Food Department has jute bags for 1.342 million tons of wheat while polypropylene bags for 300,000 tons of wheat. "The department purchases gunny bags every year before wheat procurement season and these bags are purchased in accordance with the space available for storing the wheat said a spokesman of the department here Saturday."
The spokesman said that last year jute exporting countries refused to export raw material for the gunny bags due to which the department immediately arranged polypropylene bags for wheat. These bags were kept under jute bags as jute bag has the ability to bear sunlight, heat and other weather conditions keeping the wheat quality intact.
They said that the department would utilise the jute bags to put on polypropylene bags so, as they were not exposed directly to sunlight. The spokesman said that the department was not buying gunny bags under any pressure or influence but according to the need of the department and to ensure better care of the wheat.