PBF calls for uniform wheat procurement

LAHORE:

Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) on Sunday called for a uniform price for wheat procurement by federal and provincial governments to avoid confusion among wheat growers.

Speaking to the media, PBF Vice President (VP) Ahmad Jawad stated that the federal government fixed wheat procurement price at Rs1,650 per 40kgs bag, Punjab at Rs1,800 per 40kgs bag and Sindh at Rs2,000 per 40kgs bag.

To avoid a crises-like situation that struck the market last year, growers wanted the government to chalk out a comprehensive plan for wheat procurement, he added.

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The VP further said, “The government should also provide bags to farmers timely to avoid crisis as the harvest has already started in early cultivation areas.”

He explained that last year's situation where the provincial government did not establish procurement centres at every level especially in Sindh, resulting in the sale of the commodity at well below the official price of Rs 1,400 per 40 kgs bag.

"Presently, end consumers are compelled to buy wheat flour at Rs70-75 per kg, because the variations in government's wheat prices gave an opportunity to traders to manipulate market.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2021.