ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema has said that there is no shortage of wheat in the country and the strategic reserves are satisfactory.

While addressing a presser in Islamabad, Tariq Bashir Cheema said that he will propose to Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to provide wheat to the flour mills in Islamabad through PASSCO (Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation). “The daily requirement of the forty flour mills in Islamabad is 38,000 bags of 20kg. Punjab government is not providing enough to these flour mills and resultantly there is a shortage of 17,000 bags per day,” he added. He said that since the millers are buying from the open market to meet the shortfall, the price of wheat flour is rising. He reminded that the Punjab failed to meet its wheat procurement target for the year and approached the Federal government to meet the shortfall. He stressed that the Punjab government should provide mills in Islamabad with the required amount.

Tariq Bashir Cheema said that there are 38 points in Islamabad where the government is providing wheat flour at a low price to provide relief to the public. While talking about the delay in the announcement of the support price of wheat by the Federal Government, Tariq Bashir Cheema said that the Sindh government has set wheat support price at Rs 4,000 per 40kg, which is very high. He hoped that the issue will be settled soon in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He said that that after 18th Amendment, prices of the essential items are controlled by the provincial governments. He stressed that provincial governments should take responsibility and take measures to ensure food security of essential items and control prices.

He said that wheat flour mills are grinding less than their capacity across the country, which is resulting in artificially high prices. He stressed that the provincial governments should take action against them. He emphasized that after the NFC award, provincial governments have the financial resources. “If they can enhance their procurement targets, then they should,” he said.

Tariq Bashir Cheema said that import bill of oil seed import is expected to be $6 billion this year. He said that the provinces should promote oil seed cultivation to reduce the burden on the exchequer. He said that there are enough strategic reserves to meet the demand of Afghanistan. He said that smuggling will not be allowed and if any country requires wheat, then it should approach the government. “Federal Government has spent billions of rupees through BISP (Benazir Income Support Programme) for rehabilitation and resettlement of flood affected families despite financial constraints,” he said.

Tariq Bashir Cheema said that there is no shortage of wheat in any province. “Provinces have sufficient stocks, but they are not releasing them,” he added. “We imported wheat to provide to provinces. We will meet the demand of provinces if they approach us,” he said. He said that rules do not allow import of GMO products. He said that GMO has harmful to health. “Before 2015, GMO soybean was not part of poultry feed and there are alternatives available,” he added.