November 03, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 21, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said on Friday that the support price for wheat would be announced within next few days to give better return to growers.

Talking to reporters after the announcement of the national fisheries policy here on Friday, the minister said the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet has asked for more details on the issue.

The food and agriculture ministry had submitted a summary for increasing wheat support price for the current season to Rs500 per 40kg from last year’s Rs425.

The food ministry prepared the summary in quite a reasonable time, but the minister for industries Jehangir Khan Tareen has been asked by prime minister to come up with a summary within three days.

Answering a question, the minister replied that the summary has not been rejected outright by the ECC.

“We will hold a meeting on the issue today to finalise the support price,” he added.

Asked that advisor to finance ministry Dr Ashfaq Hassan Khan after the ECC meeting had stated that the Minfal summary was deficient, the minister replied that it was a wrong impression as according to him, the meeting appreciated the summary.

Mr Bosan strongly ruled out the impression that wrong production estimates regarding wheat production have been projected by his ministry.

“I stand by my ministry estimates that this year wheat production stands around 23.3 million tons,” the minister said.

He said 80 per cent wheat is produced in Punjab. Even if there is any problem in the NWFP or Balochistan regarding wheat crop estimate, he did not see any problem in the remaining two provinces — Punjab and Sindh — which contributes to a maximum share in total production.

To a question, he said nobody can give figures of his own as there was a proper system for crop estimates.

He was of the view that proper utilisation of fertilisers will enable the country to achieve highest-ever crop production.