April 4, 2003	Friday	Safar 1, 1424

ISLAMABAD, April 3: Ministry of Food, Agriculture & Livestock (MINFAL) has arranged close monitoring of the procurement of 5.3 million tons of wheat, Secretary Salik Nazir told Dawn here on Thursday.

It was being ensured that the prices farmers get did not drop below Rs300 per 40-kg following the reports that the middlemen were trying to strike bargains below that level in Sindh, where it has been apace since March 15. The procurement in Punjab, targeted to reach 3.5 million tons, would begin in April 15.

It had been decided to include price of ‘bardana’, that is, jute and polypropylene bags in the wheat price at the rate of Rs15 each. This was considered necessary because the procurement staff, in connivance with the private sector, charged to the government Rs50 per bag and pocketed Rs35. This raised the handling cost of wheat, he added.

In reply to a question, he said a lot of wastage occurred because of the practice of storing wheat at great distances from the venue of its purchase.