Stamp of approval: Iranian team coming soon to check wheat quality

Pakistan plans to export 1m tons from surplus stock.

ISLAMABAD:

An Iranian inspection team is expected to arrive soon to check the quality of Pakistani wheat – a step further in efforts by both countries to enter into a barter trade arrangement under which Pakistan will export one million tons of wheat.

“Pakistan will start exporting one million tons of wheat to Tehran after the Iranian team completes examination of the commodity,” a senior official of the Ministry of Food Security and Research told The Express Tribune. “Wheat will be supplied at a price of $300 per ton,” he said.

Pakistan has surplus wheat stock of 1.5 million tons and even after export of one million tons, 0.5 million tons will remain in surplus.

According to a statement issued here on Wednesday, a meeting, held under the chairmanship of Secretary of Ministry of Food Security and Research Ahmed Bakhsh Lehri, reviewed the wheat situation in the country.

Provincial food secretaries, managing director of Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (Passco), senior officials of the food security and research ministry, representatives of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ministry of Commerce and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were present in the meeting.

They discussed the supply of wheat and stocks with the government and its associated grain trading organisations. They noted that the country had surplus stock and the commodity’s export had risen appreciably after a significant increase in international prices.

The meeting participants agreed that the Ministry of Food Security and Research, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, would regularly monitor wheat stock and its supply in the country. In this regard, a monitoring committee was constituted, which will be headed by the additional secretary of the ministry.

It was emphasised that the ministry, in association with the provincial agriculture departments, would make sure that proper measures were taken during the upcoming Rabi sowing season to encourage farmers to cultivate more area with wheat and enhance productivity.

The officials also underscored the need for making coordinated efforts to streamline the supply of agriculture inputs like fertiliser, herbicides and credit to the farmers.

Water availability and its possible impact on sowing of the next wheat crop also came under discussion. The officials decided that a separate meeting, to be attended by representatives of the provincial agriculture departments and other agencies concerned, would be held soon to review the situation and make recommendations.

The officials asked the Agriculture Policy Institute to coordinate for the meeting and come up with a strategy to boost wheat production in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2012.