Food stock in 'sufficient quantity'

NFRCC informed measures being taken to provide essential items to flood victims

ISLAMABAD:

The national food secretary on Friday said that Pakistan is not expecting a food shortage as there is a 'sufficient quantity' of food stock in the country.
The secretary made the remarks in a meeting of the National Flood Response Coordination Center (NFRCC) under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman of the center Ahsan Iqbal.

All chief secretaries and federating units participated in the meeting in which a detailed review of food security was conducted.

The secretary informed the NFRCC that measures are being taken at an emergency level to provide essential food items, including onions and tomatoes, to the flood victims.

He said that the quantity of the present stock of food grains is sufficient and if timely measures are taken before the cultivation of the next crop, there will be "no shortage of food in Pakistan".

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The forum was directed to prepare a strategy to ensure not only a sufficient supply of wheat, rice, pulses and other essential commodities but also a plan to deliver these items to people in flood affected areas, while also ensuring no shortage of food items for the people in the country.

The forum specifically issued instructions to avoid any kind of hoarding and requested the provinces to take legal action against all hoarders creating artificial scarcity by stockpiling these commodities and causing an increase in prices.

In an earlier meeting, the national food secretary said that Pakistan's annual requirement of wheat is 30.5 million tonnes whereas two million tonnes are strategic reserves, adding that presently, 7.07 million tonnes including two million tonnes for seeds are available in the country, which is approximately 153 days of stock.

He explained that the available stock is sufficient until it is time for the new wheat production to be harvested. Moreover, he assured early procurement of seeds for the next season.