Punjab will purchase one million metric tonnes of wheat from PASSCO’

The Punjab government has decided to buy one million metric tonnes of wheat from Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to keep the prices of wheat and flour stable in the province.

The decision has been accepted by the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to maintain the stability of prices in the wheat and flour market and to provide the public with inexpensive flour and bread. Under the scheme, flour mills will be supplied wheat for Rs 3,300 per maund.

The provincial government said that the assertions of limitation on wheat supply from Sindh to other provinces through Punjab were not founded on confirmed facts and no formal complaints had been recorded so far about stopping of wheat supply from Sindh to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Officials said the procedure of declaration of wheat stocks is in progress and compilation of the whole data is underway. They also said that the present wheat crop has relatively lower grain size. They said stock assessment is important for planning food security.

The government said it will also assure supply of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under its obligation of inter-provincial after addressing the food requirements of Punjab itself.