The Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Punjab Zone, has estimated a shortfall of 1.5 million tons of wheat in the province, urging the Punjab government to take immediate action to avoid a potential crisis.
Chairman of PFMA Punjab, Riazullah Khan, addressed a press conference on Wednesday, alongside group leader and former central chairman Asim Raza. They stated that while there is no nationwide wheat shortage, the province faces a significant shortfall that must be addressed promptly.
The PFMA suggested that the wheat could either be procured from the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Ltd (PASSCO) or imported, depending on the government’s decision.
Khan also called for the distribution of undeclared wheat stocks, seized by the administration, to be sold equally across flour mills in Punjab to ensure flour availability at government-fixed rates.
According to PFMA Punjab’s chief, flour mills should be allowed to operate freely in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan and the provincial government’s wheat deregulation policy.
He stressed that no restrictions should be placed on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat and flour, citing the significant investments made by flour mills in other provinces such as Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Khan further demanded the removal of a 40% fine on seized wheat stocks, calling the current pricing of wheat in Punjab, which ranges from Rs3,000 to Rs3,100 per maund, incompatible with the government-set price of Rs2,900. He argued that this disparity makes it difficult for flour mills to provide flour at government-mandated rates.
The PFMA leaders emphasized the need for the government to release wheat to all mills in Punjab at equal levels to maintain uniform flour pricing across the province. They warned that if their demands were not addressed, they would convene a meeting next week to decide on further actions.
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