HYDERABAD, Jan 12: Federal minister for food, agriculture and livestock Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind has said the Sindh government has only recently asked the federal government to supply 300,000 tonnes of wheat to it.

Referring to wheat shortage in the province, he said Pasco had already supplied 90,000 tonnes while 10,000 tonnes were in the pipeline. He added 100,000 tonnes of wheat would soon reach from Punjab which would be returned after the crop was harvested in Sindh.

The minister was talking to journalists after presiding over a meeting with the growers at the circuit house here on Monday. The meeting was attended by Sindh Chamber of Agriculture president Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, Sindh Abadgar Board chief Abdul Majeed Nizamani, federal secretary for food and agriculture Salik Nazeer, the Sindh cane commissioner and others.

Mr Rind said the sugar mills had started the payment of dues to the sugarcane growers and the government would ensure that its instructions with regard to the dues of the growers were complied with.

He said no excesses would be allowed either against the growers or the sugar mill owners and added the legitimate interests of both the parties would be protected.

Mr Rind said the growers spoke to him about their grievances, including the delay in payment of quality premium and start of crushing season, the role of middleman and inadequate sugarcane price.

The minister said he would be back next week and the issues would be discussed at a joint meeting of the sugar mill owners and sugarcane growers. When his attention was drawn to the inordinate increase in flour price, Mr Rind said it should not happen but added it was the provincial government's responsibility to control prices.

Answering another question about the shortage of certified sunflower seed, he said the government was encouraging the cultivation of sunflower to save foreign exchange.

He said the ICI had imported 360 tonnes of the seed while 60 tonnes were in the pipeline. Mr Rind expressed grief over the death of veteran politician Abdul Hameed Jatoi, saying that his demise was a great loss to the country.