Daily Times

The food department was procuring wheat direct from farmers at the rate of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg, fixed by the Punjab government during the current wheat procurement drive in the province.

A spokesperson for the Food Department said here on Wednesday that all farmers and masses were being informed by the Food Department that there were different types of rumours in the market about the support price of wheat which were not based on facts.

Support price of wheat will remain Rs 3,900 per maund and the food department would continue to purchase wheat from farmers as per the support price till the last grain, he said.

The spokesperson further said that it was being informed to all farmers and masses by the food department that they didn’t pay heed towards that types of rumours at all and sell their wheat to the food department for getting reasonable return of their crop. Meanwhile, The food department has achieved over 50 percent wheat procurement target by purchasing over 340661 metric ton wheat so far as over six lac metric ton wheat procurement target set for Multan division this year.

Deputy Director Food, Shahid Khokhar expressed these views while talking to APP here on Wednesday.

He said that the wheat procurement drive was on full swing as 48 centres were established across the division for procurement of wheat.

He said that maximum facilities were being extended to the wheat growers at the centres while timely payment to farmers through banks was also being ensured. DD Food further informed that the gunny bags distribution process was also underway and 73.44 percent bags had been disbursed among the growers so far.

Mr Khokhar said that the strict monitoring was also being made to curb the wheat smuggling mafia and many tons of wheat have been confiscated during raids. He said that the wheat procurement drive would continue till achieving of the set target across the division.