KARACHI:After thorough deliberations and discussions, the Sindh Cabinet has decided to set a wheat procurement target for crop 2022-23 at 1.4 MMT at Rs 4,000 per 40 kg.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House on Thursday and was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi and other concerned officers.
Minister Food Mukesh Chawla briefing the cabinet said that four million tons of wheat have been grown this year which is a good crop even though the land was damaged by heavy rains and flood water.
Chawla said that the government has already fixed Rs 4,000 per 40 kg as a support price.
The cabinet after discussions decided to set a target of 1.4 MMT procurement target and directed the department to achieve the target.
Chief Minister said that the procurement must be started directly from the growers so that the benefit of the good price being offered by the government could pass on to them.
To a question, Mukesh Chawla said that carry-over bardana to the extent of 0.40 MMT was available with the food department. At this, the CM directed him to use the available bardana for procurement in the early-harvest regions of Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad.
The minister of food said that one million PP bags would be procured to meet the requirement of the target of 1.4 MMT wheat.
The chief minister giving policy guidelines to the food department for the procurement of wheat said it [wheat] must be procured from the growers on a first come first serve basis. The bardana should be issued to the growers. He categorically told the department that the field staff involved in misappropriation/shortage/defalcation would not be posted as in charge (s) of the procurement centers.
Shah also directed the department that the inflow of wheat from other provinces and outflows of wheat from Sindh must be checked for which he directed the district administration to extend support to the department for the purpose.