03 May 2004	Monday	12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 2: The federal minister for agriculture and food on Sunday committed to intervene personally in the ongoing debate on the wheat issue and expressed the hope that the situation would soon normalize.

Minister for Agriculture Yar Mohammad Rind told a private television network during an interview telecast on Sunday: "I am ready to ... intervene and will try my level best to solve the problem."

Asked if a provincial government could import wheat to meet its requirements, the minister said that there was no restriction on any province in this regard but if the import entailed providing subsidy, then the situation would either be handled by the federal government or the provincial government would have to pay the subsidy through its own sources.

He said there was no shortage of wheat during the previous year when the total output of wheat was a little lower than the current year. The production this year, he said, was expected to be satisfactory because of favourable weather conditions as well as adequate government measures.

Pakistan would have more than sufficient stock of wheat for domestic consumption, adding the country would also be able to cater to the requirement of a neighbouring country. -APP