Continued wet spell has once again compelled the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to delay distribution of gunny bags amongst the wheat growers under ‘wheat procurement drive 2012’ and now farmers will start getting gunny bags from May 01, 2012 from the designated procurement centres of the Corporation.
While Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab for Food Department Muhammad Mansha Ullah Butt in a statement today has claimed that the department has initiated distribution of gunny bags in Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad. However, in the same statement he said that gunny bags distribution would start in all districts of the Punjab province from May 01, 2012.
Butt also cited the continued rain spell as a reason in delayed harvesting of wheat and delayed initiation of procurement drive. He assured that the government would give due compensation to the growers of their hard work. He said that the food department had made all the arrangements to buy 3.5 million tons of wheat.
All the arrangements for start of wheat procurement drive are in place. Sixty five per cent of the required gunny bags have already been reached the designated centers while rest is in the pipeline. Unfortunately, we have to take the decision of delaying the process once again to avoid high moisture content in wheat. Farmers might had brought wheat with high moisture content creating complications if the Corporation’s staff refuses to buy it, said a highly placed official.
To a question, he said that finances have also been arranged for procurement of 1.5 million tons of wheat while assurances by the Banks for finances for the rest of 0.5 million tons have also been received.
The Corporation would launch its procurement drive simultaneously in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
Farmers will be paid Rs 1,050 per 40 kilograms at the procurement centres besides Rs 7 per bag as delivery charges. All the zonal heads of the Corporation attended a daylong conference on ‘wheat procurement policy 2012’ on Friday to resolve any bottlenecks they are finding in smooth procurement drive. Now all the issues have been resolved and growers will face no hardships, assured a Corporation official.
The spokesman said that farmers can lodge their complaint if any against PASSCO officials on 0300-4262758 or 042-99201461-62.
