LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that wheat will be procured from farmers at a rate of Rs 2,200 per maund. According to the official sources here on Monday, the CM said that the Punjab cabinet had set a target of purchasing 3.5 million metric tonnes of wheat. He added that the wheat procurement target would be increased if needed. Usman Buzdar said effective steps would be put in place to stop the illegal transportation of wheat and added that in connection with the wheat procurement drive an eight-member committee had been formed at the provincial level. Special monitoring committees would supervise the procurement process at provincial, divisional, district, tehsil, and centers level, he maintained. The chief minister said that the rights of farmers would be protected.