20000117

Sindh to get 2.5m

bags of imported

wheat shortly

KARACHI: Sindh will soon receive 2.5 million out of five million bags of imported wheat as per its quota, Sindh Minister for Food and Agriculture Iftekhar Soomro said on Sunday.

While presiding over a meeting of the food officials, the minister directed them to foil all attempts aimed at creating artificial shortage of flour.

On the occasion, the minister warned the flour millers of strict legal action if they sell flour at higher rate than that fixed by the government.

Soomro told the meeting that the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture had assured that Sindh would get its share of wheat at any cost and thus it would receive 2.5 million bags out of 5 million which is imported from Australia.

He said neither there is shortage of flour in the province nor the district-wise quota of the flour mills has been curtailed.

Besides, wheat was available in sufficient quantity at the government godowns.

Food and Agriculture, Secretary Munawer Opal informed the minister that by January 25, nine ships would anchor at the Karachi Port.

He also said till January 15, 1,541,040 bags of wheat would be available at the government godowns.

The meeting was told that out of the available stock Karachi region has been allocated 651,310 bags of 100-kg, while Sukkur region 418,090 bags, Hyderabad region 43,210 bags, Mirpurkhas region 322,030 bags and Larkana region 106,400 bags.ÑAPP