Advance wheat quota to flour mills be ensured: FFC
By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD—The Federal Food Committee (FFC) here on Friday directed all the relevant authorities to ensure two-day advance quota to flour mills by February 17.“We should extend two-day wheat quota to the flour mills in advance across the country by February 17, so that there should be no shortage of flour to the consumers due to holiday on Sunday and elections day on February 18”, Chairman FFC Lt.Gen ® Farooq Ahmed Khan told the FFC meeting.
The meeting was presided over by FFC Chairman here at Prime Minister Secretariat. The FFC meeting reviewed the overall supply and prices situation of edible commodities with special reference to the prices of flour across the country. The meeting noted with satisfaction that prices of flour across the country have started declining with each passing day with shortage of wheat and flour in the markets of all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas.
The representatives of Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan briefed the meeting about the supply and demand and price situation of wheat and flour in their respective provinces. They noted that due to measures and interventions of the FFC the supply and prices situation has improved. “Flour is available at Rs.15.50 per kg and it would further come down after the arrival new wheat production by the end of February in Sindh and March in Punjab in the market”, he remarked.
Lt Gen ® Farooq Ahmed Khan said that FFC would never compromise on the quality of flour and warned that FIR would be launched against the Flour mills producing sub-standard flour and market them to consumers. “We have stabilize the wheat and flour situation across the country and urged the provinces to take the responsibility and expedite their efforts in this regard”, he remarked.
The Chairman FFC said that wheat deficient provinces should store the commodity specially wheat and submit their requirements to Punjab province by February 15 so that they could procure the commodity on their behalf so that no shortage could occur in future. He asked the public sector to bring the rice in the market for the maintaining the prices of the commodity for the relief of the people especially the poor segment of the society.
“We will never tolerate the hike in the prices of rice affecting the poor people in the country”, he remarked. He added that FFC like wheat and flour would also include edible oil, sugar, rice and pulses to monitor their supply and price situation and if required “We will seek assistance from the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in this regard”.
He directed the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Pakistan Railways to expedite the transportation process of wheat from the ports to the provinces to ensure proper supply of flour to the provinces. The Chairman FFC asked the Secretary FATA to take special steps to check smuggling of wheat and flour to Afghanistan. The Committee also took notice of the reported Rooti (bread) prices of Rs.5 per rooti in the parts of Islamabad and directed the price control committee to take action against the profiteers and asked them to decrease the price of Rooti to avoid action.