Food Department falls short of wheat collection

Faces difficulty in achieving total procurement target.

FAISALABAD: The Food Department is facing difficulties in achieving the total wheat procurement target from Faisalabad division as of announced June 7 deadline.

According to the district food controller, the Food Department has so far achieved 92% of the procurement target from Faisalabad division, including 86 % from Faisalabad district, 99% from Jhang district, 98% from Toba Tek Singh district and 85% from Chiniot district.

In order to achieve the set target, officials of the Food Department have reportedly tried to purchase wheat from middlemen and wheat dealers. However, despite all efforts, procurement is progressing at a very slow pace of 0.04% daily.

When contacted, Deputy Director Food Anjum Safdar told The Express Tribune that: “In two districts of the division – Jhang and Toba Tek Singh – we have almost completed wheat procurement activities; however, we are facing some problems in achieving the set target in Faisalabad and Chiniot,” he said. However, he hoped to achieve the set target but would not provide a timeframe for it.

Responding to a question, he said that “The government had increased the wheat procurement target by 13% in the division this year as compared to the target in the previous year. The wheat procurement target was 440,000 tons in 2012, but was revised to 495,900 tons in 2013.”

“During last year, the Food Department accomplished only 76% of the set target, but this year we have reached 92-93%, which reflects the sincerity and hard work of our staff in the division,” he said defensively.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2013.

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