Federal Government Decides to Import 750,000 Metric Tons of Wheat Amid Domestic Supply Shortfalls
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has made its final decision to import 750,000 metric ton of wheat to prevent food shortages in the country as it is unable to buy enough from local producers and has been facing challenges in managing the domestic market of wheat.
The administration has been criticized for its previous lax and inadequate policy on giving fair support prices to farmers and its dependence on the markets outside the country to meet the country’s food requirements.
International Tender and Strict Eligibility criteria.
An international tender has been issued to carry out the importation. The technical bids for the tender will be opened on September 16 in the presence of the bidders or their authorised representatives.
Tight regulatory measures have been implemented: companies that did not meet the requirements of their previous agreements with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) were not allowed to compete. The companies or firms so blacklisted, or those in the process of being blacklisted, will not be eligible for bidding unless all outstanding dues and penalties are paid before the bids are opened.
Allocation of the Quota among the Provinces and its Consumption Statistics
The imported wheat will be distributed to provincial levels as per the official distribution plans to help to stabilize the wheat supply in the region:
Sindh: 300,000 metric tons
Punjab: 250,000 metric tons
Khanewala, District KPK: 200,000 metric tons
The import of this consignment of 750,000 metric ton would greatly boost grain supplies in local markets and help to prevent price inflation, authorities say.
Domestic wheat consumption in Pakistan was around 31.3 million metric tons during the last year while the production was fixed at 29.61 million metric tons, resulting in a production short of 1.7 million tons. According to official records, PASSCO had 1.708 million metric tons of inventories at the first week of July.