Provinces Refuse to Be Part of Govt's 1 Million Ton Wheat Import Plan

The federal government has, in principle, decided to import up to 1 million metric tons of wheat for $340 million. Sources said that provinces, including Punjab, are hesitant to submit additional demand beyond the wheat available through the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO).

A review meeting on wheat imports was held on Sunday under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for National Food Security, with Tariq Bajwa and officials from the federal and provincial governments, PASSCO and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) attending.

Sources said no final decision was reached at the meeting regarding the quantity or mechanism of additional wheat imports.

The provinces have reported significant shortfalls in their strategic wheat reserves. However, they were also reluctant to provide written requests for wheat beyond the stocks available with PASSCO.

They will still utilize wheat available in PASSCO’s reserves to meet their requirements.

PASSCO had around 1.783 million metric tons of wheat in stock during the first week of July,.

Sources said the federal government’s proposal to import up to 1 million metric tons is based on the demand and supply situation reported by the provinces.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has already constituted a steering committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister to oversee matters related to wheat imports.

The issue is expected to remain under review.

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