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Wheat
procurement to start immediately
ISLAMABAD- The government has decided to launch wheat
procurement process immediately to boost market prices of the
wheat protecting interests of the farmers, Shafi Niaz, Advisor
to Chief Executive on Food and Agriculture said here on
Friday. While talking to APP Shafi Niaz said President Pervez
Musharraf has directed the provincial governments and PASSCO
to start procurement of wheat directly from farmers without
involving any middle man in this connection.
He said wheat procurement position will be strictly monitored
and the concerned departments have been directed to submit a
weekly report indicating district wise wheat procure static on
every Saturday. He said arrangements have already been made to
procure four million tons of wheat from the farmers and
interests of farmers would be fully safeguarded by lifting
wheat at its fixed procurement price.
He said the directive of the president has been conveyed to
the concerned authorities, including provincial governments,
PASSCO and the relevant food departments to aggressively enter
the wheat procurement process this season. The private sector
is also being offered incentives to encourage them to buy
wheat from farmers, he added.
Shafi Niaz said despite the prevailing water situation,
climate remained good and owing to hard work of farmers and
better water management, it became possible to yield better
production. He said the government is fully aware of the
difficulties being faced by the farmers and has already issued
directives for their solutions. To another question, he said
steps are being taken to improve quality of wheat and storage
capacity. Both public and private sectors are making efforts
to increase storage capacity of wheat.
He said it is priority of the government to enhance per acre
production. The progressive growers of the country are
obtaining 40 to 50 maund per acre wheat production while, he
said adding, the common farmers are producing only 25 maund
per acre which is not sufficient and can be increased or
doubled thorough use of modern technology and techniques.
Advisor on Food and Agriculture said production of wheat crop
has tremendously enhanced due to affective policies of the
present government.
courtesy Daily The News ,
20
April, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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