KARACHI (March 02 2004): The Passco-Australian joint team continued re-examination of wheat samples from two vessels, waiting at the outer anchorage of Port Qasim.

Despite Muharram holiday on Sunday, the team carried out the re-examination of the samples, collected from the vessel, m.v. Oriental, which arrived at the head of three vessels, carrying about 110,000 tonnes of wheat out of a total contract of supplying 150,000 tonnes of wheat by a local firm, Tradesmans International.

The wheat samples, taken on Sunday, were handed down to the Federal Minister Incharge of Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman.

He was advised by the Cabinet to intervene and settle the row between the Passco and Tradesman International over the quality of wheat, which was found infected with a disease "karnal bunt" in the first laboratory tests.

The Minister cancelled all his engagements and is waiting in the city along with the Passco Chief, Lieutenant General Faheem, to resolve the wheat crisis.

According to details, the Tradesman International summoned the members of the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) to contest the Passco claim that the wheat was infected, but the later refused to entertain the former request, saying that it was not mentioned in the wheat contract.

A decision to re-examine the maiden sampling of wheat from the third vessel has not yet been taken.

However, the specimen, collected during the re-examination of wheat from the first two vessels, would be tested in the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), headed by Dr Mubarak, at Karachi University.

The results of samples testing are expected by March 4.

The joint team, which started re-examination at 8 am on Sunday, returned to the city on early Monday morning.

In view of the critical nature of the wheat imports, the joint investigation team preferred to do its job even on Monday despite a closed holiday to carry out the re-examination of the samples from the second vessel, m.v. Blue Zenith, carrying over 38,000 tonnes of wheat.

According to wheat duality experts, re-examination of wheat samples is a tough whole day job because in all 106 samples are drawn from each vessel. These samples are then mixed to form a composite sample for the purpose of getting correct results in testing.

The local ship agents have arranged three speedboats to shuttle the members of joint teams and surveyors between Karachi and Port Qasim to carry out the re-examination job.

Courtesy Business Recorder