ISLAMABAD, April 3: The government on Tuesday announced that it expected a record 22.5 million tons of wheat production and would purchase more than five million tons to help farmers.

"We are likely to achieve 22.5 million tons of wheat this year as compared to 21.6 million tons last year," Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Bosan told a press conference here on Tuesday.

“The government has given a procurement target of five million tons to provinces and Pakistan Agriculture Stock and Services Corporation (Passco) besides advising them to be ready to purchase more than the target, if needed, the minister said.

He said Sindh was likely to purchase at least 700,000 tons of wheat and it would be increased to one million tons depending on the availability of wheat.

Mr Bosan said the Punjab government was interested in buying the entire stock of wheat available with the farmers.

He said the export of surplus wheat by private sector would be allowed and a formal announcement would be made after final figures of wheat production were available.

The minister said that private sector was expected to play an active role in the procurement drive as liberal financing with the ratio of 90:10 would be made available to them through policy intervention of the State Bank of Pakistan.

Mr Bosan said that the current wheat policy would remain operational for the next year and there would be no restriction on inter-district or inter-provincial movement of wheat.

He said the use of phosphatic fertilisers by farmers had increased 40 per cent as compared to urea fertiliser.