The Balochistan government has authorized the release of Rs5 billion for wheat procurement in the province and allocated funds for purchasing gunny bags for growers.
This decision was reached during a meeting of the food department chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti on Friday.
It was agreed in the meeting that half of the Rs5 billion would be disbursed on Monday, with the finance department instructed to release Rs130.90 million on Friday to initiate wheat procurement and commence purchasing gunny bags immediately.
The meeting assessed the Wheat Procurement Policy and Plan 2024, deciding to initiate the wheat procurement process next week based on the decisions of the Balochistan cabinet.
During the meeting, it was disclosed that the food department currently possesses 58,000 tonnes of wheat in stock left over from the previous year’s distribution.
Following the cabinet’s directives, the tendering process for purchasing new bags has been initiated for this year’s wheat procurement requirements.
The cabinet has mandated the purchase of 500,000 tonnes of wheat from farmers this year, despite ample wheat reserves held by the provincial government.
Chief Minister Bugti emphasized the importance of directly benefiting farmers by procuring additional wheat from them.
Bugti acknowledged past mismanagement in the food department, leading to officer reluctance in executing routine duties and causing delays in departmental matters, including wheat procurement.
