WFP purchases 200,000 tons of wheat from Passco

LAHORE: The World Food Programme (WFP) has lifted 93,000 tons of wheat out of the 200,000 tons it bought from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Supplies Corporation (Passco).

This wheat is being bought for distribution among flood-hit people by the WFP.

The WFP had initially bought 100,000 tons of wheat from the Corporation and recently finalised a deal for another 100,000 tons at the rate of $276 per ton, confirmed Passco’s Managing Director, Major General Sohail Shafqat.

The corporation had sold the earlier 100,000 tons at the same price, the MD said, adding that the WFP has also bought 15,500 tons of Irri-6 rice from the Corporation for distribution in flood-hit areas. Rice has been sold to the WFP at the rate of Rs30,000 per ton.

He said that the Corporation had supplied wheat to the WFP from its stocks lying under open skies.

Referring to the stocks available with Passco, Shafqat said presently Passco had around 1.72 million tons of wheat in its stocks.

Regarding damage to the stocks due to rains and floodwaters, he said that the administration had taken timely steps after receiving warnings and had thus managed to save its stocks. He said that Passco at various centres had constructed protective walls four to six feet high which helped stop flood and rainwater from entering the centres.

Similarly, three water dispensing sets for each centre were also allocated to save them and the stocks from floodwaters, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2010.