With the huge loss to the standing crops by the flashfloods that could not be contained as yet, the Sindh government has decided to procure at least 1.3 metric tons of wheat at a total cost of Rs 38 billion, during the wheat procurement that commenced the other day, it is learnt.
Interestingly, the Sindh government could not enhance the wheat procurement target due to low-productivity of the crop after the flashfloods had badly hit the crops in almost all district of the province. And, even the wheat support price has not been enhanced that is fixed at Rs 1200 per 40 kilograms, sources in food department told Pakistan Today.
The overall wheat procurement process would require at least Rs38 billion for which the department would borrow the loan from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), they said, adding that the tenders for gunny bags had been invited and the process had already been completed.
In order to ensure facilitate the poor growers, at least 409 procurement centers have been established in different parts of the province while deployment of the officials would be ensured at the centers to ensure eradication of role of the middlemen in the entire process, sources added.
Besides, at least 13 million sacks (Bardana) would also be made available at the centers and senior officials would monitor the process, ensuring wheat support price of Rs 1200 per 40 kg, they said. This year, the Sindh government had planned to increase the wheat procurement target to 1.8 metric tons however the plan could not be materialized as the floodwaters had badly damaged the standing crops worth billions of rupees and the authorities remained fail to come out of situation.
