Millers warn of looming flour crisis

Pakistan Flour Mills Association revealed that they have three days wheat stock for people of Balochistan

QUETTA: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has accused the provincial government of Balochistan of deliberately creating a wheat crisis in the province by imposing inter-district ban on the transportation of wheat in the name of coronavirus lockdown.

“The government should lift Section 144 for inter-district transport of wheat in Balochistan because this restriction is increasing flour prices across the province leading to a food shortage,” said PFMA Balochistan chapter President Sayed Saleh Agha in a press conference on Friday.

He was flanked by the PFMA central committee member Syed Zahoor Agha.

The president requested the provincial government to permit mills to procure wheat.

Saleh warned that the flour mills across the province could be closed in protest against inappropriate policies of Balochistan government and the provincial food department.

The association members revealed that they have three days wheat stock for people of Balochistan. However, the government has not allowed them to procure wheat for mills.

“The provincial government allowed procurement of one million sacks of wheat in food policy for 2020-2021 but that will not fulfill the requirement and may trigger food shortage,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2020.