LAHORE, March 30: The Punjab food department will formally launch its wheat procurement drive on Thursday, beginning with distribution of gunny bags for subsequent purchases.

According to Secretary (Food) Raja Shahid Hussain, the department would start receiving wheat from April 10. The target for the current year had been fixed at 3.5 million tons, but the department planned to keep procuring wheat till the last grain, he said. The department would not, in any case, procure less than three million tons - required for food security of the province.

Dispelling doubts about department's ability to meet its procurement targets, he said the department had been keeping track and expected the crop size to meet the demands of both the public and private sectors.

The department had planned its purchase plan to take maximum advantage of the situation, he said. It had gone pro-active by starting its procurement drive much earlier than the private sector and deciding to go to farmers and convince them to sell their crop instead of establishing centres and waiting for farmers.

He claimed that around 105 flag centres had been established throughout the province for the purpose and more could be established if needed. The department had also increased the limit of unpacked wheat from 20 to 50 maunds. It would also provide up to 100 bags on personal guarantee, which was double the limit last year. On call deposit, up to 1,000 gunny bags would be available.

Early procurement drive would also help the department as fresh crop had a high moisture content and the private sector avoided purchases at this stage. Wheat, he said, had started arriving in the market in the southern Punjab in Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur.

In both these areas, the department had already established its presence and was monitoring the crop. Random surveys had also been conducted in the province to assess the crop size, and early clues did leave room for optimism.

Though the acreage remained almost the same as last year, farmers were reporting a better yield. On the basis of all these facts, he hoped that the procurement target would be met and food security ensured for the next year.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, provincial minister for food, has directed all district co-ordination officers in the province to personally get involved in the procurement drive and report any problems directly to him. The DCOs must ensure supply of flour at prices fixed by the government, he added. He claimed there was no shortage of flour anywhere in the province.