Chairman Flour Mills Association Asim Raza has demanded the government should allow the private sector to import wheat.

Addressing a meeting of Flour Mills Association in Lahore, Chairman Asim Raza said that the government was issuing wheat quota on the basis of population.

He said that quota should be given on the basis of equality instead of the population as getting quota on the basis of equality would end the shortage of flour and reduce the prices.

It should be noted that flour is still being sold at higher prices in different cities of the country and in Karachi, flour has been sold at the highest price in recent days.

Earlier, some seven international suppliers have shown interest in supplying the commodity at a price ranging from $332.44 to $352.95 per metric ton. The state-run grain trader is importing wheat on the directives of the federal government to avoid wheat shortage in the domestic market as the country’s last year wheat production was less than demand.

Following the advice of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet so far TCP has imported some 2 million metric tons wheat for the domestic consumption. Two more wheat shipments of 55,000 metric tons each are expected to reach Pakistan during next week.