July 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 08, 1428

KARACHI, July 23: While flour millers in Sindh want quick release of wheat from the government stocks before Ramazan, some millers have already pushed up the rates of 10-kg fine atta bag to Rs170 from Rs160.

Retailers are charging Rs175 from the consumers for Asharfi and Bake Parlour brands of 10-kg fine atta bags.

Atta no.2.5 rates at retail stage have already surged to Rs16 from Rs15 per kg.

However, the millers said that they had not increased the wholesale rates of atta and it had been same at Rs15 per kg for the last one month. They said that only wheat prices had surged in the last one month but it again returned to old level.

On the other hand, the retailers said wholesale atta rates had been fluctuating. It was available at Rs1,140 per 80-kg last week as against Rs1,190 in the beginning of this month.

Now again retailers quoted the rate of 2.5 no. atta at Rs1,180-1,190 per 80-kg.

Similarly, the wheat prices are now being quoted at Rs1,240 per 100-kg bag as compared to Rs1,270-1,280 in first week of this month.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Sindh Zone, chairman Ansar Jawed said that the rates of atta during the Ramazan could remain stable if the early release of wheat to millers by the Food Department was ensured.

Last year the department had released 875,000 tons of wheat to the Sindh millers while the PFMA now demands release of 1.5 million tons.

“The Sindh government should issue 1.5 million tons before Ramazan or by first week of August which will help keeping both wheat and atta prices stable in the market,” said Ansar Jawed.

He claimed that the wheat flour rates had been stable for the last one month across the country.

However, he did not give the reason as to why some millers had increased the 10-kg fine atta bag prices despite decline in wheat prices. He said these millers had a particular market segment which can afford to pay much higher prices.

Answering a question about the actual wheat crop size this year, he said that final wheat production was estimated at 22 million tons and not 23.5 million tons as was estimated by the government.

He urged the government to fix the issue price of wheat between Rs1,150-1,175 per 100 kg bag.

Chairman Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) Anis Majeed said that the wheat crop was expected to be around 22.5 million tons. “Actually the crop was damaged just 10-15 days ahead of final harvesting due to rains and winds.

He, however, agreed the point of view of the PFMA that the government should issue wheat to millers as per their capacity before the holy month. But the government should check the rates of atta and wheat in the market after providing wheat to the millers.

Taking no action - despite having full knowledge - to recover the two million tons of wheat being hoarded by the vested interest in the market and even at petrol pumps has raised many a questions about the government’s seriousness of curbing such trends, he remarked.