Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) warned the federal government on Monday that if the Rs 100 per maund increase in the wheat support price was not withdrawn, price of the 20 kilogrammes flour bag will jump by Rs 80.
PFMA indicated that flour mills could reduce wheat flour price by Rs 150 per bag if the federal government allowed them wheat import. Holding a press conference at PFMA House, association chairman Naeem Butt strongly criticised the federal government’s decision to increase the wheat support price from Rs 950 to Rs 1,050 per maund. He said that the decision to increase the wheat support price would neither benefit farmers nor consumers. Naeem suggested that if the federal government wanted to support farmers it should provide them with agriculture inputs, including fertilizers, pesticides and diesel at subsidised rates.
He pointed out that Pakistan had the highest wheat price in the world despite the fact that the country had surplus wheat stock of around eight million tonnes. In the international market, he said, wheat was available at $285 per tonnes. He demanded the government to allow wheat import, which would cut wheat price by Rs 150 per 20 kilogrammes.