LAHORE: Talks between the Punjab Flour Mills Association and the Punjab government made headway on Wednesday as the millers withdrew their decision of not lifting wheat from Food Department storage for five days.

Punjab Food Director Omar Jahangir and PFMA Chairman Asim Raza and others told a press conference that the millers would sell each 20kg flour bag at Rs1,100 instead of Rs1,250 and action would be taken against the retailers charging more than this rate.

The millers agreed to continue grinding wheat at the rates announced in the new wheat release policy, which moved a summary containing PFMA demands, including increasing grinding rates and enhancing grain quota for each mill, to the provincial cabinet. The cabinet will take a decision on the demands within eight days.

Mr Raza said they had reservations on official flour prices, release of wheat by the Food Department on the basis of population of an area, reducing grain grinding rates from Rs600 to Rs400 per 100kg, and a change in the ratio of extraction of by-products from the flour.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2021