Mian Rashid Asghar
FAISALABAD. Early wheat procurement drive was imperative to ensure the minimum strategic reserves due to the expected shortfall of wheat production in the country. Mr. Abdul Samad Khan, an official of the food department, said that growers preferred other profitable crops instead of sowing wheat as their first choice. “Hence wheat was grown on less area as compared to the previous year”, he said and added that due to the harsh and unfavourable climate the per acre wheat production is also expected to decline and Pakistan may face acute shortage of wheat this year. He said that the food department must evolve a comprehensive strategy to procure maximum wheat to meet its given targets. “The food department should involve growers before the entry of commission agents and middlemen”, he suggested, hoping that it would help the food department to take hold of the wheat market on a solid and sound basis. He said that the government has started delivery of jute bags but this campaign should be further expedited. Mr. Samad also stressed the need to take officials of the food department into confidence so that they could work devotedly to meet the wheat procurement targets. Congratulating Director Food Punjab, he appreciated his policy of merit and demanded that inflow of deputationists at this crucial stage must be discouraged and instead officials of food department may be given extra responsibilities as they fully understand the departmental norms and standard values.
