Pakistan has strategic wheat stocks of 8.644 million tons, which are sufficient to meet the domestic requirement and maintain a smooth demand and supply in the local markets this food year (May 1-April 30), reports WealthPK. The government has also allowed import of 3 million tons of wheat to bridge the gap, said Food Security Commissioner in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research Dr Imtiaz Ali Gopang.

Traditionally, the government releases an average of 46,300 metric tons per day, including 25,000 metric tons for Punjab, 10,000 metric tons for Sindh, 5,000 metric tons for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,000 metric tons for Balochistan and an average of 5,300 metric tons for the Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supply Corporation. Out of the total stocks, about 5.143 million metric tons are available with Punjab, whereas Sindh has stocks of 933,006 metric ton.

Gopang said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have reserves of 233,606 metric tons and 29,630 metric tons respectively, while over 2.498 metric tons are available with the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO). The private sector reserves have been recorded at 1.139 million metric tons so far.

Besides the public sector, the private sector has also procured over 3.172 million metric tons of wheat, out of which about 2.003 million metric tons have been ground. The government is taking measures to bring more area under wheat cultivation by ensuring the availability of all agriculture inputs, including certified seeds, fertilizers and access to credit, to the growers.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk