PASSCO directs to ensure fair distribution of wheat bags to farmers
- March 18, 2014, 7:28 pm
- National News
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LAHORE, March 18 (Online): Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan on Tuesday directed Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation (PASSCO) officials to ensure transparency and fair distribution of wheat bags to redress problems of small farmers.
He was addressing a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food and Security here at PASSCO head office which was chaired by Chairman Standing Committee on National Food and Research MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan.
The federal minister expressed satisfaction over arrangements taken by the PASSCO administration and directed the officials to devise a comprehensive and farmer-friendly strategy.
Acting Managing Director PASSCO, Lt-Col (R) Raja Muhammad Younis briefed the meeting the federal government had set a target of 1.6 million metric ton to the department for wheat procurement in year 2014 and the department would provide all needed facilities to farmers.
The wheat purchase price is Rs 1200/40 kg with security of gunny bags and PP bags at Rs 133 per bag and Rs37 per bag respectively, he added. Chairman of the Standing Committee, MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, directed the officials to put in place all necessary measures to ensure the protection of resources of wheat and utilize all available resources for making the distribution process of bags smooth and transparent.
The members of the committee concluded that maximum wheat bags should be provided to small farmers, minimum 16 bags per acre; the number of centres must be increased; transparency must be ensured; two or three kg per bag wheat should not be deducted; payment within a week must be ensured and wheat policy 2014 should be revised to facilitate farmers.
The meeting was attended by members of the Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research including Dr Hafizur Rehman Khan, Mir Dostain Domki, Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Shahnaz Saleem, Abdul Sattar Bachani, Junaid Akbar, Romina Khurshid Alam.
