| Market
Watch
Private
sector to purchase surplus wheat
ISLAMABAD-The government within three years will make capable
the private sector to purchase surplus wheat from farmers
across the country, Federal SecretayFod, Agriculture, and
Livestock Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa said.
In an interview with PTV's Kissan Time he said, the
arrangements are being made to fully introduce procurement
process in the private sector. He said the private sector will
give fair prices to the farmers for their crops and this would
also increase annal agriculture production. He said the
government is taking all necessary steps to stabilize wheat
market and enable the farmers to get a reasonable price for
their produce.
The private sector would be given various incentives to
attract them towards wheat procurement, he added. Hafeez
Akhtar said increase in export is essential to dispose of
recent high stocks raised in wake of two successive good wheat
crop. In addition, he said, a number of measures have been
taken to improve the procurement and distribution procedure
with a focus on greater role for private sector and market
forces, he added.
He said the State Bank of Pakistan has been directed to
provide special credit facility to private sector for
procurement of wheat. It has also been decided to allow the
banks to freely finance procurement of wheat by flour mills
from any source in Pakistan. There will be no restriction on
them on the basis of annual capacity of each flour mill, he
added. The government is bringing a major policy shift for
increasing production of crops which fetch good prices in the
international market. He said last year 8.5 million tonnes
wheat was purchased against the set target of 6 million tonnes.
This year, he said target was reduced due to lack of storage
capacity and presence of last year's stock in godowns.
He said more quality standards would be maintained to increase
wheat export and we are struggling hard to achieve this end.
More attention, he said, would be focused on production of
fruits, vegetables and livestock to increase exports. He said
cold storages of international standards will be established
in the country with the assistance of European Union, World
Bank, Japan to make the products acceptable in the world. Cold
storages will also be established at major airports.
September 13, 2001 |
Other News
|
