May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

MULTAN, May 14: The Punjab Food Department has managed to purchase only 11,60,925 tons of wheat against last year’s 12,24,654 tons till May 13.

The commodity was procured from three regions of southern Punjab, including Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.

According to the some agricultural experts the deficit is not big, while others term it the result of harassment caused by the government to achieve the procurement target.The food department has procured 505,102 tons from Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalnagar districts; 296,360 tons from Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Rajanpur; and 359,463 tons from Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Vihari, Pakpattan and Sahiwal districts.

Last year, 391,754 tons of wheat was procured from Bahawalpur region, 271,219 tons from the Dera Ghazi Khan region and 561,681 tons from the Multan region.

Except the Multan region, the remaining two regions have procured more wheat as compared to last year.

An official of the Multan food department cited multiple reasons behind the less procurement including cultivation of wheat on less area, delay in harvesting, presence of Passco as a market competitor, greater number of flour mills and the presence of hoarders and the middlemen.