GUJRAT: The [district] flour mills association has declined to lift wheat stocks from Sargodha that according to them have been of a very low quality which may compromise the standard of flour.

The millers have also warned of closing the production if they are forced to lift wheat from Sargodha.

The warning was issued by the association at its meeting held on Monday.

The divisional authorities in food department [Gujranwala] had earlier asked the local millers of Gujrat district to lift the wheat from Sargodha since stocks in Gujrat were depleting.

However on Tuesday, the millers of Gujrat were issued at least 5,000 wheat bags by the food department for a day after warning by the mill owners.

District Food Controller Malik Maqsood told Dawn that the issue had been resolved for the time being as some new stocks arrived but, as per the agreement, the mill owners were bound to lift stocks of wheat from wherever the food department authorities asked them.

Adding he said in case of shortage of available stocks in any government stores of the respective district, the wheat from any neighbouring or nearby districts could be provided to the mills.

He said there were enough wheat stocks available in the country and some ‘mafia’ was trying to create artificial shortage of the commodity to mint money.

An owner of a flour mill said the wheat available in the official stores of Sargodha had been too old and was not of a good quality and if the mills would use that stuff the quality of flour would also be low and in that case the authorities would again blame the millers for producing ‘unwholesome’ flour.

“That is why the flour mills association has declined to have such wheat and asked the authorities to make alternative arrangements for consistent production in at least 28 flour mills of Gujrat district,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2020