SIALKOT: The Food Department purchased 4925,000 bags of wheat worth Rs16 billion at the rate of Rs1,300 per 40 kg from farmers in Gujranwala Division during harvest season 2015.
However, according to the official sources, the department could not achieve the target set for the wheat sale. The food department sold only 2320,000 bags of wheat worth Rs7.5 billion, and 2,605,000 wheat bags worth Rs8.5 billion are yet to be sold.
Flour Mills Association Punjab Vice President Gohar Saeed has said that the flourmills are buying wheat as per their demand. He said that there are total of 910 registered flourmills and 100 unregistered flourmills across the province. He added that out of the total, 40 percent of the mills have already been lying closed due to some unavoidable circumstances across the province.
He continued that wheat rate in the international markets is Rs600 per mound (40 kg) against the high rate of Rs1,300 per mound in Pakistan, adding that due to this huge difference, Pakistan failed to export its wheat stock.
