Pakistan to import more wheat to ensure steady supply, stable prices throughout the year

• Pakistan to import wheat to build strategic reserves, ensure steady supply of wheat throughout the year.
• Shaukat Tarin urges authorities to keep undue profiteering and price hike in check.
• Tarin urges provincial governments to ensure daily release of wheat on subsidized rates.

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ISLAMABAD: The government has planned to import more wheat during the year to ensure prices of the staple food remain stable and its supply remains stead. 

This was revealed by the secretary to the ministry of food security who was briefing the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) about availability of wheat stocks across the country. 

He also briefed about arrangements underway to import wheat for building strategic reserves and to ensure steady supply during the current year. A summary will be presented before the next meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee for requisite approval in this regard, he added.

While reviewing performance of the rabi crops (2020/21) last month, the Federal Committee on Agriculture estimated wheat production at 26.04 million tons, up 1.7 percent over the last year.

Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin presided over the meeting. The minister gave clear-cut instructions to relevant officials to take concrete and consolidated measures to ensure undue profiteering and price hike were kept in check. He stressed on the need to facilitate masses during the last week of Ramazan, keeping in view the arrival of Eid.

He stressed on authorities to ensure a steady supply of basic commodities was not disturbed and prices of basic food items also remained stable. 

The finance minister directed the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) to ensure that the data must represent and reflect prevailing prices trends including prices prevailing in Ramazan Saastaa/Sahulat Bazars for wide coverage.

While taking stock of the situation, Tarin urged all the provincial governments to ensure daily release of wheat on subsidized rates in compliance with the directives of the premier to keep the prices of wheat flour bags in check.

Minister for Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Waqar Masood and other senior officers participated in the meeting.