A panel of the National Assembly on Thursday expressed its annoyance at the provision of incorrect statistics with regard to production of crops in the country by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Food Security ordered an investigation to identify the people responsible for providing incorrect information to it and those who accepted the PARC report.
A member of the committee, Rana Muhammad Hayat, noted that from one murabba of landwhich is equivalent to 25 acres 1,400 maunds of sugarcane are produced in Pakistan.
"PARC officials, however, claim that only 600 maunds of sugarcane are produced from one murabba. PARC officials are lying; this is a joke with the nation," he said, adding that there should be an investigation against the PARC on this matter.
During the meeting, one of the members, MNA Moin Watto, asked if the government had devised a policy to buy wheat from farmers.
The food secretary replied that a summary regarding the wheat policy had been sent to the prime minister, who had formed a committee to work on the wheat policy. This committee is currently working on recommendations regarding the wheat policy.
He said no wheat will be imported from any country this year and neither the federal government nor the provinces will procure wheat this year. "The provinces currently have sufficient wheat reserves. There will be no wheat-related issues in the country this year. To enhance wheat storage capacity, the private sector will be involved," he added.
Watto noted that in that case, the government must ensure that farmers are free to sell their wheat to whomever they choose. "If wheat or potatoes are being transported to other provinces, let it happen," he said.
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