By Zamir Haider
ISLAMABAD: (March-4) A cabinet committee headed by Professor Dr Attaur Rehman, minister for science and technology, has assured all the parties that fair and just decision would be taken on the issue of Australian wheat imported by the government.

“The samples had been sent for retest from the first shipment of 75,000 tons of wheat imported from Australia, and the fresh samples from the second shipment of 37,500 tons had also been asked for the test to be held at National Agriculture Research Council (NARC),” official at the ministry of food and agriculture told Daily Times.

“It is most likely that the final report of the committee would be ready by coming Friday,” he added.

He said that the first report of the NARC declared that the wheat imported from Australia carried Karnal Bunt Fungus, and it had created much stir and the Cabinet took up this issue and formed a committee to investigate into the matter.

Meanwhile, the official said that the Australian government has welcomed the Pakistan government’s decision to resample and retest the Australian wheat previously rejected against claims that the wheat had not met quality specifications and was contaminated with Karnal bunt fungus.

The two Australian ministers, Mark Vaile, minister for trade and Mr Warren Truss, minister for agriculture in separate letters to the government of Pakistan had said that Karnal Bunt is not known to occur in Australia, and the wheat was tested before shipment and found to be disease free and above the specified quality standards.

Officials at the ministry of food and agriculture said the company representatives and Australian government officials from the department of agriculture are in Pakistan and are working in collaboration with Australian high commission, the importer i.e. PASSCO and Pakistan authorities to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The official said that the Australian government has conveyed that it has taken this issue very seriously since it goes with the reputation throughout the world as a reliable wheat exporter.

“The Australian government while registering its concern through its high commission had urged the government of Pakistan to resolve the matter at the earliest,” the official said.

Dow Jones Newswires adds: Australia has welcomed a decision by Pakistan to retest two previously rejected cargoes of Australian wheat that it claimed was contaminated by Karnal Bunt fungus, Warren Truss, the agriculture minister, said Wednesday.

Australia and exporter AWB Ltd had in turn rejected Pakistan’s claim that the cargoes were contaminated with the fungus and didn’t meet quality specifications.

“The Australian government views this matter very seriously,” Mr Truss said in a statement. “It goes to Australia’s reputation throughout the world as a reliable supplier of high-quality wheat.”

Australia is a major global supplier of wheat through export monopoly operator AWB, which is currently trying to sell a record wheat crop.

Mr Truss said AWB and Australian government officials are working with the importer of the wheat and Pakistani authorities to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Karnal Bunt isn’t known to occur in Australia, he said.

The wheat was tested before shipment and found to be disease-free and above the specified quality standards, he said.

Pakistan rejected the cargoes late February. The cargoes were supplied by AWB as part of a subcontract to supply 150,000 metric tons of the cereal as part of a Pakistani government tender awarded to Pakistani trading company Tradesman International.

DAILY TIMES PAKISTAN