By Muhammad Luqman

Punjab has sufficient wheat stocks to meet the province's consumption requirements until the arrival of the next crop, with a record harvest this year creating a substantial surplus, according to the Punjab Food Department.

Punjab produced more than 22 million metric tonnes of wheat this year, exceeding the province's annual consumption requirement by around 5.5 million metric tonnes.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Director General of the Punjab Food Department Amjad Hafeez said the release of wheat received from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) to flour mills had begun under the government's strategy to ensure uninterrupted flour production and maintain market stability.

He said wheat was being supplied to eligible flour mills at Rs3,800 per 40 kilograms in accordance with approved criteria, with distribution being carried out transparently and on merit.

"The initiative will play an important role in stabilising flour prices by ensuring a steady supply of wheat to flour mills," he said.

According to Hafeez, the measure is expected to support the availability of flour at government-notified rates, establish a price benchmark in the market and discourage unnecessary price increases.

He said the government's foremost priority was to ensure that consumers continued to receive quality flour at affordable prices.

"Approximately 850,000 to 900,000 bags of 10kg and 20kg flour are being supplied daily across Punjab at notified prices of Rs1,100 and Rs2,200, respectively, to ensure adequate availability and protect consumers from price volatility," he said.

Responding to a question about wheat imports, Hafeez said any decision on importing wheat rests with the federal government, which determines national requirements based on production, consumption and overall food security considerations.

Meanwhile, flour millers questioned whether the current wheat releases would be sufficient to stabilise market prices.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, former Central Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Asim Ahmad Raza said the government was currently supplying only about 30% of Punjab's daily wheat requirement, limiting the impact on open-market wheat and flour prices.

He said subsidised wheat was currently being supplied mainly to flour mills in divisional headquarters, while mills in smaller towns were largely excluded from the programme.

Raza said extending wheat supplies to all flour mills across Punjab would have a greater impact on price stability.

Under the existing wheat policy, he said, wheat and flour prices were likely to continue fluctuating until the arrival of the next crop.

"The government should take into account the concerns of all stakeholders while formulating wheat-sector policies," he said.

Credit: INP-WealthPk