June 12, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1424

ISLAMABAD, June 11: The government is likely to resume wheat export programme soon, despite weather damage to its crop, to keep a presence in the international market, a senior agriculture ministry official said on Wednesday.

The Wheat Disposal Committee, a state-run trade body, will decide on Saturday the quantity of wheat to be exported, the official told Reuters.

“We will not import any wheat next year. This is definite,” the official added.

Pakistan halted its wheat export programme in May as the dry summer wind slashed the crop yield, triggering fears of a shortfall in the domestic market.

The revised estimate puts wheat output in Pakistan at around 19.25m tons, down from an initial estimate of 19.7m tons.

The new estimated total is still sufficient to meet Pakistan’s domestic demand of 20m tons as the country also has a carry-over stock of more than 1m tons from last year’s crop.—Reuters