Public sector organisations: 6.5 million tons of wheat procurement target set for 2011

The government on Thursday set 6.5 million tons of wheat procurement target for the public sector organisations for the year 2011 with a support price of Rs 950 per 40 kg. This was decided in a meeting of the Agriculture Ministry' committee, constituted by Economic Co-ordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) to review the country's existing wheat procurement policy here.
Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal chaired the meeting, which was also attended by federal ministers Naveed Qamar and Mian Manzoor Watto. It was decided that Punjab will procure 3.5 million tons, Sindh 1.3 million tons, Passco 1.3 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 0.4 million tons while Balochistan will procure 70,000 tons of wheat this year. The strategic reserves of one million tons will be kept in all provinces and with Passco according to their requirement.
The meeting was informed that 23 million tons of wheat production is expected in the country this year. Sindh estimates a production of 3.7 million tons while Punjab expects to produce 16.5 million tons of wheat this year. Last year, public sector organisations including Punjab Food Department, Sindh Food Department and KP Food Department procured over 7.5 million tons of wheat out of which 4 million tons was procured by Punjab, 1.5 million tons by Sindh, 1.5 million tons by Passco, 0.3 million tons by KP and around 80,000 tons by Balochistan.
According to official estimates, Pakistan's total domestic wheat requirement is about 21.70 million tons to feed a population of about 175 million at the rate of 124 kg per capita/annum. Last year, wheat crop in the Barani areas of the country, was severely affected due to low rainfall. The meeting decided to set 6.5 million tons of wheat procurement target for the year 2011.
Gondal reiterated the government's resolve to ensure minimum wheat support price of Rs 950 per 40 kg to the farmers. "Provision of merit-based support price will be ensured to encourage the farming community," Gondal added. The minister further said that there would be no ban on the export of wheat during the procurement season and the public sector procurement would be totally on merit while the procurement target might be revised any time. Gondal said that the government was committed to safeguard the interests of the farmers whose efforts have enabled the country to export the surplus wheat this year.
"We would make sure that the positive trend of bumper production continues in the future. We can turn around our economy if we keep on promoting the agriculture sector of Pakistan, and we are determined to do that at all cost," said the minister. Secretary Minfa, Secretaries from all provinces including AJK and GB, MD Passco, representatives of Finance Ministry, State Bank of Pakistan and other senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.