Wheat import during interim set-up being probed, NA told

Minister says crop’s procurement will improve within next four to five days

ISLAMABAD:

National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanveer on Wednesday said an inquiry was under way to investigate the decision of the caretaker set-up to import wheat despite the prediction of a local bumper crop.

Responding to the queries of the lawmakers in the National Assembly mainly related to the agricultural sector, the minister also agreed on the formation of a House committee to scrutinise the legitimacy of the decision of import wheat during the interim government’s tenure.

He said on the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal government had sent letters to the four chief ministers, urging them to immediately kick off the process of wheat procurement and enhance their targets accordingly.

The minister assured the MNAs that the situation of procuring wheat would improve within the next four to five days and noted a rise in the rate of the cop to Rs3,400 per 40 kilogrammes despite initially incurring losses.

The minister expressed his gratitude to the House for highlighting critical issues within the farm sector, particularly the wheat production in Sindh and Punjab.

Emphasising wheat as Pakistan’s staple crop, he underscored the importance of determining its support prices to encourage growers, ultimately securing food security for the nation.

However, he acknowledged the fluctuations in the prices and regretted the inefficiency in subsidy distribution, citing instances where it failed to reach its intended recipients – the farmers -- despite its allocation for them.

He disclosed that because of previous wheat imports, a substantial stockpile of 4.1 million tonnes remained.

Tanveer clarified that the provincial governments were responsible for wheat procurement. He highlighted a decline in Punjab’s procurement target from 25% to around 15-16% of the total wheat production because of various challenges, including adverse weather conditions.

The minister emphasised the superior quality of Pakistani wheat in comparison with that produced in Ukraine or any other country.

He pointed out that the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) focused on procurement for strategic reserves and food security, with its own specific targets.

Tanveer assured the MNAs that there would be no hindrance in the supply of fertilisers and their pricing would not pose an issue.

He clarified that the implementation of their plan rested within the purview of the provincial governments, which maintained contracts with dealers for the provision of the crop.

Highlighting the premier’s strong commitment to providing relief to farmers and uplifting the agricultural sector, the minister reiterated the government’s dedication to this cause.

He underscored PM Shehbaz’s keen interest in providing relief to the farmers and fostering growth in the agricultural sector.

Acknowledging the historic contributions of the PML-N in the agricultural domain, he noted that substantial subsidies were provided to the farmers previously and assured the MNAs that further significant relief measures would be included for the growers in the upcoming budget.

The minister highlighted the pivotal role of the agricultural sector as the backbone of the nation and stressed its critical importance in ensuring food security for the country’s population.

He noted that 70% of Pakistan’s population benefitted from food security, stressing the necessity for concerted efforts by both federal and provincial governments to alleviate the plight of the farmers.

The minister confirmed the initiation of wheat procurement and expressed his openness to welcoming proposals from lawmakers in the budgetary process.