Punjab has enough wheat stock for an year: Minister

LAHORE: Punjab Food Minister Bilal Yasin while announcing a major reduction in prices of atta on Tuesday said the province already has enough wheat stock needed for one year.

In a statement the the provincial food minister said 20 kilogramme flour bag price had decreased by Rs1,000 during the past month and was available for Rs1,700 to Rs1,800 in the market.

The current rate of 10 kilogramme bag is Rs900, he added.

He said Punjab currently had carry-forward stock of 2.3 million metric tons of wheat, which was sufficient for period till the next wheat crop harvesting in 2024-25.

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Vowing to take action against those responsible for the wheat import scandal which has triggered a crisis for the farmers, he reiterated the government stance that the crisis was a result of the caretaker government’s decision of wheat import.

The scandal has created a crisis for farmers who are unable to get the promised minimum support price of Rs3,900 per 40 kilogramme as the market is offering much lower rates of Rs2,800 to Rs3,200.

About the ongoing probe ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by constituting a fact-finding committee, Yasin said the government was determined to make the report public and hold those accountable behind the episode.