–Wheat farmers demand increase in wheat support price from Rs1,400 to Rs1,600 per 40 kg
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan has said that field officers would have to work day and night to meet the wheat procurement target, set at 4.5 million tonnes, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He was presiding over a meeting to review arrangements for the provincial wheat procurement campaign here on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by the additional chief secretary, secretary food department, Lahore division commissioner and officers concerned whereas divisional commissioners also joined through a video link.
It was decided that only license holders would purchase grains during the wheat procurement campaign.
The chief secretary said that under the policy, private purchase, transportation and storage of wheat, except for personal, use has been disallowed.
“Feed mills and unregistered seed companies would not be permitted wheat purchase as well,” he maintained.
He ordered stern action against hoarders, directing administrative officers to coordinate with law enforcement agencies to take action against hoarders. He said that the policy of ‘first come first serve’ would be followed in the campaign, adding that the limit of Bardana (gunny bags) would be from 200 to 1000 sacks.
He directed that all possible facilities be provided to farmers and SOPs regarding coronavirus be implemented at wheat procurement centres by disinfecting premises and ensuring the availability of masks, sanitizers and soap for hand wash.
The meeting also decided to depute officials of law-enforcement agencies and civil defence at each centre and set up dispute resolution committees at the district level to address farmers’ problems.
The meeting was briefed that online registration of farmers and issuance of Bardana(gunny bags) has started in Rajanpur district.
The meeting was also told that inter-provincial and district movement of wheat would be regulated through an application developed in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).
Talking to Pakistan Today, Malik Irfan Raza, a wheat farmer from Budh, a village near Muzaffargarh requested the government to increase wheat support price from Rs1,400 per 40 kg to Rs1,600 per 40 kg as during the current season March rain spell have wreaked havoc on wheat farms across the province.
