Flour mills closed due to old wheat, high prices

Millers say food dept supplies protein-deficient wheat stock of 2009.

FAISALABAD:

High wheat prices and low quality of available government stocks have forced the closure of 11 flour mills, out of 43, in Faisalabad, millers say.

Flour millers were purchasing wheat at Rs1,000 per 40 kg from the Punjab government against open market price of Rs975. The Sindh government is selling the commodity at Rs975 per 40 kg.

“Despite high prices, wheat is of substandard quality as it has low gluten level,” a flour miller said, referring to the Punjab government’s policy according to which the food department would first market stocks of 2009. “Flour quality is being compromised due to gluten deficiency in wheat,” he said. Gluten is a sticky substance which is a mixture of two proteins.

Deputy Food Controller Faisalabad Taufeeq Ahmad told The Express Tribune that the Punjab government made these policies and the food department was only implementing them. He said wheat would be available for two weeks only in the open market, following which flour millers would have to purchase government stocks.

Secretary Food Punjab Arfan Elahi contested the millers’ claim of substandard quality, saying the provincial government had already checked the quality of wheat. “According to the quality report, wheat is fresh and has full gluten content.” Rejecting any price relief on wheat supply, he said the flour mills would have to compromise on the price issue as the government had already given subsidies to them.

Vita Flour Mill Manager Shakeel Ahmad said Pakistani flour was no more of international standard due to low gluten level, hurting exports to Afghanistan.

Dawood Flour Mills Manager Arshad Ali said these problems had led to the closure of 11 flour mills in Faisalabad and suggested that the government should encourage businessmen with good policies and facilities but unfortunately the Punjab government did not offer any incentives.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2011.