MULTAN, Nov 11: National Assembly former speaker Syed Fakhr Imam expressed the fear on Tuesday that the country could become a wheat importer if the government did not announce a fair and equitable support price.

In a press statement, Mr Imam expressed concern over the delay in announcing wheat policy for the year 2003-04 and said further delay would cause reduction in the area under wheat cultivation.

He said one of the major reasons for the shortfall in wheat production target last year was that the government did not increase the support price of Rs300 per 40kg in proportion to the hike in input prices.

Himself a leading grower of the country, Mr Imam said prices of inputs, like seed, fertilizers, herbicides, electricity and diesel had gone up since the government fixed the procurement price of Rs300 per 40kg in 1999-2000.

He said the country had a bumper crop when the support price was raised and for the first time Pakistan became a wheat exporting country.

He also expressed his concerns over the reports that the government was considering to import one million tons of wheat this year and observed that the step was neither a good omen for the country’s exchequer nor for the rural economy.