USC to get 50,000 tons of wheat a month

Published October 20, 2007

LAHORE, Oct 19: The Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) will supply 50,000 tons of wheat to the Pakistan Utility Stores Corporation every month for the rest of the season, says the Passco managing director.

Although the federal government had initially asked for one-time supply, Maj-Gen Saleem Ahmad Nawaz Mela said, it was decided of late that Passco should continue supplying wheat to the corporation for easing out the flour market.

About the supply position, he said, the corporation luckily had purchased more wheat than its target and now had supplies to meet this additional demand. This monthly supply would correspondingly take pressure off the Punjab food department and help stabilise the flour price in the country.

As for lifting of Punjab’s share of wheat from Passco stocks, Secretary Food Ahmad Yar Khan said the department would start lifting it shortly. The government had approved the summary because some subsidy was involved in the purchase, but all the procedural matters had been finalised and lifting would start within days, he said.