MULTAN, March 8: Former National Assembly speaker Fakhr Imam has urged the government to set wheat procurement target for the current Rabi season at five million tons.

In a press statement here on Friday, he said there would be a surplus stock of 3.5 million tons from the last year crop of 19.4 million tons when the fresh harvest reach the market in April.

He said to avoid a glut of the commodity in the domestic market, the government must export some of the surplus stock to establish a market abroad. He said the government should ensure the official wheat procurement price to growers from the very beginning of the season.

He urged the authorities concerned to take steps to ensure availability of gunny bags and prompt payment to growers. The exact location of procurement centres should also be announced forthwith, he said.

“The task of procuring a minimum of five million tons of wheat should be streamlined in a manner that a huge quantity of wheat can be exported well in time,” he stressed.