April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

MULTAN, April 5: Despite the increase in procurement price of wheat to Rs625 from Rs510 per 40kg, the food departments all over the country are still releasing wheat to flour mills at Rs465. The consumers are, however, forced to buy a 20-kg bag for Rs425.

Khawaja Muhammad Shoaib of Farmers’ Vision Forum told Dawn that the government should enforce the procurement price strictly so that the people could get wheat flour at a reasonable rate.

He said that the previous government had purchased wheat from farmers at Rs425 and fixed the flour price at Rs590, but people were forced to purchase 40 kg bag at Rs800 to Rs1,000.

He suggested that the government should store large stocks of wheat by purchasing it at Rs625 from the farmers and manage its distribution.

Only by this way the wheat flour can be made available at the cost of Rs700 per 40 kg. This policy would not only satisfy the farmers but also ensure the availability of flour at Rs700 per 40 kg against Rs800 to Rs1,000 during the previous regime.

He suggested that the release of wheat from the government stocks to the flour mills should also be at the rate Rs625 per 40 kg. This would force the mills to buy wheat from the farmers instead of depending on their quota with the government.

Nawab Liaqat, former president Flour Mills Association, Punjab chapter, said that mills were issuing a 20-kg bag at Rs290, while its retail price is Rs300.

He said that the flour mill-owners had provided the government the list of sale points opened by them and the list of shopkeepers to whom they were providing the wheat flour.

He said that while the harvesting had not started in Punjab the purchase of wheat from the farmers was not possible.

The provincial and federal food secretaries were not available for their comments.