Govt Policies Behind Wheat Crisis: PTI

PTI Punjab Kisan Wing General Secretary Ejaz Shafi has pointed out that the current wheat crisis in Pakistan is largely due to the government's flawed agricultural and procurement policies.

Ejaz claimed that the imported wheat will cost around Rs4,200 to Rs4,300 per maund, which may push the price of a roti above Rs25 in the coming days. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) received nine bids for 656,000 tons of wheat against the required 750,000 tons, with international suppliers quoting between $348.83 and $369.95 per metric ton.

Ejaz questioned why the government failed to purchase sufficient wheat from Pakistani farmers when it had the opportunity to secure the crop at a much lower cost. He stated that instead of purchasing wheat from farmers at around Rs3,500 per maund, the government allowed farmers to face weak market conditions and is now purchasing wheat from international suppliers at a much higher overall cost.

The imported wheat will also put additional pressure on Pakistan's foreign-exchange reserves, as the country will have to spend valuable foreign currency to purchase wheat from international suppliers. Ejaz demanded that the government make public the complete cost of the imported wheat, including the international purchase price, freight, port charges and other associated costs.