LAHORE: The Punjab Chapter of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has threatened to go on strike from Nov 23 if their reservations over the wheat release policy are not addressed by the provincial administration within a week.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday chairman Tahir Hanif Malik and others said the wheat release policy was creating unrest among the industry and affecting flour supply in the market. They warned stopping of flour supply prepared by grinding both the privately purchased wheat and officially supplied grain if their demands were not met. Moreover, they alleged that the Punjab food director had backed out of the promises he made with the millers.

They said they had demanded an increase in wheat quota from 12 bags to 25 per mill, abolishing the condition of lifting 25 per cent of the allotted wheat quota from far-flung districts, upward revision of grinding charges and allowing them the supply of flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces in unmarked white bags.

The millers said they would not lift their quota from the food department warehouse if their demands were not met. They claimed the department had surplus wheat, but both the food secretary and director were indecisive about easing market pressure on flour supplies.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2021