THIS refers to the article ‘The wages of wheat’ (April 14). I would like to add two important factors. First is the country’s annual need and planned target after assessing the storage of wheat for 365 days. There is a need to review the annual wheat target which is around 28m tonnes, whereas its consumption varies on yearly basis.

The second factor is keeping abreast of the international wheat price at the time of harvest and till the arrival of the fresh harvest. There is a need for devising a mechanism of storage during harvesting.

Wheat stored in plastic bags under the open is likely to be affected by climatic conditions. I had the chance to see wheat gunny bags stacked on brick beds owing to the lack of storage in godowns in Punjab. It would have been more appropriate to export two million tonnes of wheat at the time of harvest, whereas 70 days’ stock of fresh harvest should have been taken into account. There must be planned import if required when international prices are decreased.

Since there is water scarcity, one can also plan on sowing wheat according to the availability of water. As the wheat price of Rs1,300 per 40kg was revised in 2012, it must be reviewed on a yearly basis.

Further, farmers must be provided a subsidy on fertilisers so that the additional burden can be minimised. There is also a dire need to grow olives as Pakistan spent $7.38 million on the import of 2,706 tonnes of edible oil in 2015. Olive plantation must also be encouraged so that surplus wheat-growing areas can be earmarked for this purpose.

Riaz Akbar

Wah Cantonment

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2018