June 21, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 20,1424

KARACHI, June 20: Pakistan is expecting a surplus wheat harvest this season, enabling it to meet domestic wheat demands plus those of neighbouring Afghanistan, Food and Agriculture Minister Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind said on Friday.

“We are expecting crop size in the proximity of 19.3 million tons, which is sufficient to meet our all demands,” Mr Rind told AFP, quashing news reports that Pakistan was facing a wheat harvest shortfall and looking for import partners.

“We are self-sufficient, rather we enjoy surplus stocks of wheat.”

He predicted a yield of 19.3 million tons in the current season to April 2004. It has already procured a large portion of grain.

“The latest estimates show that a procurement of 9.3 million tons have already been furnished and the private sector alone has purchased Rs6 billion worth of wheat from the barns,” the minister said.—AFP