December 10, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 24, 1422

THE country, in 1999-2000, harvested record wheat yield of 20.8 million tons, creating a surplus of 1.8 million tons after the estimated domestic consumption of 19 million tons.

In 2000-2001, despite irrigation water shortage, Punjab cultivated wheat on an area of 6.1 million hectares as against the target of 6.08 million hectares. However Sindh, because of acute water shortage, sowed wheat on 29 per cent less than the targeted area and harvested 29.5 per cent less as compared to 1999-2000. Despite production shortfall there was no space in the godowns of the province to store the 2001 crop, except at few centres. This resulted in widespread stacking of wheat in the open space. Reason attributed by food-department sources was the lifting of ban on the inter-provincial movement of wheat and the forced sale of huge quantity to Sindh by the centre.

Reportedly, wheat purchased from Punjab is still lying in big quantity in the hired godowns of the RECP in Karachi and is under regular fumigation, costing millions on each fumigation. According to reports some quantity of surplus stock has been exported to Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, but not from the godowns of Sindh.

Due to the free movement of wheat, price and quality the mill owners prefer to buy wheat from Punjab. During the 2000-2001 season there were malpractices in wheat procurement. Besides, wheat procurement from influential growers through middleman was also prevalent. The Sindh food ministry high-ups failed to stop this practice.

Survey and inspection of wheat crop, majority of which is stacked in the open in District Khairpur, indicates drastic variation in the level of infestation caused mainly by two insect pests species viz: khapra beetle (trogoderma-granarium) and confused flour beetle (tribolium sp) in the jute bags, each weighing 100kg.

A person who had acted as a middleman admitted that many unscrupulous middleman, while supplying wheat to the food department indulged in mixing some infested wheat bags (containing wheat of 1999-2000 crop) in fresh lots of 2001 crop, which triggered widespread cross infestations among the entire lots of 2000-2001 crop lying at different godowns.

Following increased infestation, dust formation has also started which lowers the market price of the wheat stock. However the range of infestation reported during survey was 10 to 15 per cent. If stocks are not fumigated immediately damage may be colossal. So far the condition of old stock (1999-2000) lying inside was found horrible, almost in all the godowns.

The prolonged infestation has turned almost 30 per cent of wheat grain into powder and the remaining 30 to 35 per cent grain harbours insect infestation (damage). Reportedly, there are 0.6 million bags of wheat lying inside or outside godowns, out of which 0.2 million bags are from old crop and 0.4 million from new crop (2000-2001). According to food department source, no fumigation has taken place on the new crop since its procurement, about 6 months back. Suggestions:

1. In order to combat pests infestation, the entire wheat stocks in godowns of food department should be immediately fumigated, especially for khapra beetle control.

2. For early consumption of wheat by mills, purchases from other provinces by the flour mills should be banned.

3. In the backdrop of chronic corruption and inefficiency prevalent in the food department it is clear that the existing system of wheat procurement, its pests-free storage in the godowns, and its disposal through flour mills is not sustainable. It is thus imperative to evolve a system involving private sector.

The Farmers Association of Pakistan proposal to set up a private company for building godowns, and to obtain bank loan against the stocks may be taken into account. To protect the growers interest, price of wheat may be linked with the period of storage in the godowns. Produce stored for longer period should be given higher price than the one stored for short period.