LAHORE, Aug 10 (ABC): Punjab has sufficient wheat stocks to meet the province’s consumption requirements until the arrival of the next crop, with this year’s record harvest creating a substantial surplus.
Punjab produced more than 22 million metric tonnes of wheat this year. The output exceeded the province’s annual consumption requirement by around 5.5 million metric tonnes.
Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Director General of the Punjab Food Department Amjad Hafeez said the government had started releasing wheat received from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to flour mills.
He said the releases formed part of the government’s strategy to ensure uninterrupted flour production and maintain market stability.
Wheat supplied to flour mills
Hafeez said the government was supplying wheat to eligible flour mills at Rs3,800 per 40 kilograms under approved criteria. The authorities are carrying out the distribution transparently and on merit.
“The initiative will play an important role in stabilising flour prices by ensuring a steady supply of wheat to flour mills,” he said.
According to Hafeez, the measure will support flour availability at government-notified rates. It will also establish a price benchmark in the market and discourage unnecessary price increases.
He said the government’s foremost priority was to ensure that consumers continued to receive quality flour at affordable prices.
“Approximately 850,000 to 900,000 bags of 10kg and 20kg flour are being supplied daily across Punjab at notified prices of Rs1,100 and Rs2,200, respectively, to ensure adequate availability and protect consumers from price volatility,” he said.
Responding to a question about wheat imports, Hafeez said the federal government would make any such decision. It determines national requirements based on production, consumption and overall food security considerations.
Millers welcome wheat releases
Flour millers have welcomed the government’s wheat releases as a positive step towards stabilising market prices. However, they believe broader coverage could further strengthen the impact.
Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, former Central Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Asim Ahmad Raza said the government was currently supplying around 30% of Punjab’s daily wheat requirement.
He said increasing the volume of wheat releases could exert greater downward pressure on open-market wheat and flour prices.
Raza said the government was currently supplying subsidised wheat mainly to flour mills in divisional headquarters. Extending the programme to mills in smaller towns and other parts of Punjab would broaden its benefits, he added.
He said such an expansion could contribute to greater price stability across the province.
Raza also called for timely adjustments to the existing wheat policy to minimise price fluctuations until the next crop arrives.
“The government should continue consulting all stakeholders while formulating wheat-sector policies to ensure stable supplies and affordable flour prices,” he said.
