Daily Times

According to recent statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, Pakistan produces an average of 24 million tonnes of wheat annually in two crop seasons. Last year, the federal government made the resolution of producing 25 million tonnes of wheat, which appears to be a bit more than the current year’s national demand of 24.5 million tonnes. For the last four decades, the wheat production in Pakistan has been increasing at an annual rate of three per cent, except in the very few seasons, when there were droughts as well as a low rate of precipitation.

The biggest portion of sustenance of Pakistanis comes from wheat. Cultivation of the wheat crop makes Pakistan an agricultural economy. It alone contributes nine per cent to the aggregate input of the agriculture sector to GDP; whereas it directly constitutes around two per cent of the overall GDP. How can a cash crop cultivated on as many as 8.9 million hectares of land disappear? It requires immediate investigation. Speaking of Lahore, the daily demand of wheat flour equals 2950 tonnes, for which 4933 tonnes of wheat is required to be ground by 83 flour mills working in Lahore region, out of the 894 flour mills at the job in Punjab. As per the daily release of wheat to Lahore, the flour mills could produce 3,450 tonnes of flour. Hence, 500 tonnes per day of leftover flour becomes available with the population of Lahore. This surplus quantity of flour is supposed to be consumed by the non-resident travellers of Lahore. Under the auspices of the current situation, the government has increased the daily release of the authorised quota of wheat for Lahore from 5,767 tonnes to 6,420 tonnes. Yet, no improvement in the situation has been seen. Pakistan’s economy does not only have ghost schools. Non-functional flour mills are operating to acquire their monthly quota of wheat from the government and utilise it under the table.

Like sugar mills, powerful politicians own many flour mills

Many analysts opine that the government of Sindh did not procure wheat during the last season. The provincial government was suffering from a lack of due diligence, and the federal government appeared to be nowhere during the last year. It contributed to the rise in general prices of wheat flour in the Sindh province, the relative effects of which are now stinging the populace of Punjab. The stronger argument suggests the Sindh government was busy in manufacturing an artificial wheat crisis. Having founded in 1973, Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), a government agency, is responsible for the collection and storage of agricultural products from all around the country. It regulates wheat supply to all provinces. The performance of this agency has a big question mark. Let us talk about the plausible foundations of investigation as well as pertinent solutions. Firstly, from the electricity consumer bills acquired from the LESCO, a serene picture of the proper utilisation of wheat quota could be assessed. What is likely to happen with the electricity that flour mills consume? It has been estimated that 4.8 units are consumed to grind 40 kilograms of wheat. Secondly, the flour mills involved in malfunctioning–directly or indirectly–could be identified and their owners could be held responsible for what they are doing. If done in the true spirit, it could paint a hurricane on the political canvas. Like sugar mills, powerful politicians own many flour mills. Vouching the commercial documents and auditing the finances of such flour mills could be fair enough. It could be equivalent to opening up a Pandora’s Box.

Thirdly, imperative actions are required to unveil the hoarding and smuggling of wheat, if any. Previously, in 2019, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research banned the export of wheat and wheat products through its competent notifications. Wheat is still suspected to be exported to Afghanistan through the identified routes. Federal Investigation Agency could come forward to better things. Lastly, the municipal government could take abrupt action against the retailers for controlling illegally increased flour prices. In rural and semi-urban areas of Pakistan, the people are under much influence of electronic media which has assumed the responsibility of questioning the government’s performance without analysing the crux of matter under consideration.

The present government’s policies on agriculture have gathered no moss. The Prime Minister of Pakistan could understand the difference between corporate-level farmers and policymakers. The right men could be assigned the responsibility of doing the right things at the right time. Careful analysis indicates the current wheat crisis has not sprouted frequently. Rather, it has been planned and launched intentionally; depriving the people of the very basic, edible commodity. The covert objective of the doers of this heinous act is to use the public to safeguard their personalised political objectives.

The writer is a researcher and journalist