Harvesting hope

A sum of over Rs 209 billion would be required for procurement of targeted 7.72 million tons (MT) of wheat this year, well-placed sources told Online on Wednesday. The wheat procurement campaign on part of the federal and provincial governments for the year 2012-13 would formally start from April 20. Harvest of the country’s gold crop has already started in low lying Sindh and would commence in major wheat producing province Punjab.
According to the sources, four provinces in addition Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) are busy making financial as well as logistics arrangements to ensure timely procurement of the grain of everyday consumption.
“In Punjab, farmers have cultivated wheat on 16 million acres aiming at produce of 19.2 million tons,” the sources said. “Likewise, Sindh cultivated 2.5 million acres for target of 3.2 million tons’ production”, the sources added.
According to the sources, Punjab would require Rs. 105.300 billion to procure target of 4 million tons of wheat. Similarly, Sindh to procure 1.3 MT would need Rs 34.125 billion. Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Balochistan are looking for Rs 8.53 billion for 0.325 million tons, and Rs 2.62 billion to procure 0.100 MT of wheat, respectively. At the same time, the federal government outfit PASSCO would be procuring a couple of million tons of wheat at the estimated cost of Rs 59 billion. “In this regard,” the sources added, “PASSCO has established 220 centers in 11 zones across the country to start its wheat procurement campaign for the year 2012-13.”
Meanwhile a Punjab government official told Online that the province would borrow the loan of Rs. 92 billion form The Bank of Punjab for wheat purchase. “Any grower applying for gunny bags will be entertained for maximum 200 jute bags or 400 polyethylene bags once during the first 15 days of procurement at the centre,” the official said.
Earlier, the federal government had set the procurement price at Rs 1,050 per 40kg along with Rs 7.5 per 100 kg wheat as delivery charges. Online broke the story a fortnight back that the government has fixed 24.2 million tons as overall production target for the current year. This year’s target is 0.8 million tons short of the last year’s total yield of 25 million tons. The federal government has also estimated annual requirement of wheat across the country to the tune of 24 million tons.