KARACHI, Aug 30: Flour millers of South Asian countries are forming a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) flour mills body with Lahore as its headquarters to exchange knowledge, information and experience in milling practices and support each other wherever necessary and needed in wheat growing areas.
“We hope to complete our process of formation of Saarc Flour Mills Association by next spring with a seminar on the milling in Lahore,” Sufi Bilal, a veteran and leader of millers in Pakistan, who now heads the Indo-Pak Flour Mills Association, said.
As bureaucracies in India and Pakistan started showing signs of strains and tension, the flour mills leadership of the two countries thought it appropriate to extend their coordination and cooperation at the Saarc level.
Pakistan remains the main wheat consuming area in South Asia with more than 22 million tons wheat production a year and has 1,139 flour mills. India’s wheat production has come down to 69 million tons last season from 75 million tons with about 1,100 flour mills.
These mills are mostly located in the northern parts of the country.
Bangladesh is mainly a rice consuming country where eating habits have changed a lot and, according to Sufi Bilal, about two million tons of wheat was imported this year to supplement local wheat production, which is too meager to meet the local demand.
There are 300 flour mills in Bangladesh.
Nepal has 29 flour mills and it depends entirely on imported wheat. Sri Lanka too is a non-wheat growing country and depends on import to keep its three flour mills operational.
The flour mills associations of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh,
Nepal and Sri Lanka have agreed to form a Saarc association with
Sufi Bilal as its first leader with head office in Lahore.
The articles of association and other details will be finalised in Lahore meeting of the leaders of flour mills associations of these five countries.
Agriculturists, nutrition experts, bakers, technologists and millers from South Asian countries will explore areas of cooperation and coordination.
“India has a good network of laboratories while we in Pakistan boast of modern milling practices,” Sufi Bilal remarked while indicating areas of possible cooperation.
“Pakistan harvested a good crop last season and we could export some quantities to India, Bangladesh, Nepal or Sri Lanka,” he said. India’s wheat production was relatively low last season and it imported wheat from Russia, Australia, and Central Asian Republics.
Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka too depend on wheat imports from Australia, US, and South American countries.
In addition to wheat production and milling there are areas in bakery production where Saarc countries can explore cooperation and benefit from each other’s potential as well as experience and knowledge and cater to their needs rather than depending on Europe and US. Confectionaries and cookies in the West are not only expensive but also not compatible to tastes, cultural and religious sensibilities of the people of South Asia.
