ISLAMABAD, May 3: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz here on Thursday approved the export of 500,000 tons of wheat to neighbouring countries, including India and Afghanistan.

This was decided in a meeting with federal Agriculture Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Bosan said that the prime minister was “very pleased” with the bumper wheat harvest this season, adding that it was likely to exceed 23 million tons, surpassing the 22.5 million-ton target. Last year, the country had produced 21.7 million tons of wheat.

“Final production figures may surpass the current estimates. We will announce new plan for more wheat exports after finalisation of crop figures,” Mr Bosan observed.

Attributing the bumper crop to the government’s pro-farmer policies, including farm sector subsidies, he said that onion production was also likely to surpass last year’s output figures.