Gunny bags: 32,000 farmers submit applications

District food controller maintained the food department would purchase 227,000 tonnes of wheat from growers

MULTAN: At least 32,000 farmers submitted applications for gunny bags during the current wheat procurement drive, District Food Controller Muhammad Sufian said on Sunday. He said the department had received 25,000 applications during last year. However, applications were being processed for issuing gunny bags, he added. Sufian maintained the food department would purchase 227,000 tonnes of wheat from growers. Regarding the expected yield of wheat in the district, he said it was estimated over 600,000 tonnes. He pointed out the food department used to purchase nearly one third of the total produce. The food controller said the number of wheat growers, who intend to sell their produce to the food department, had increased due to government’s policy of issuing gunny bags to farmers possessing 10 acres of land. In past, gunny bags were issued to farmers who possessed 20 acres of land, he observed.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2018.