20000125

ECC approval sought for 2.06m tonnes wheat import

ISLAMABAD: The Agriculture Ministry has asked Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Federal Cabinet to approve additional import of 2.058 million tonnes of wheat during the year 2000 to meet shortfall in wheat supply.

Sources said the fresh demand for 2.058 million tonnes comes on the heels of actual import by Pakistan of as much as 1.1 million tonnes of wheat from Australia (0.8 million tonnes) and USA (0.3 million).

The Agriculture Ministry's request is prompted by a fresh demand to Islamabad by the provincial governments to provide one million tonnes of wheat in addition to the normal annual federal wheat distribution quota.

Sources said a formal summary to this effect was submitted about a week back to the ECC by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal).

Sources said that the Ministry has proposed to ECC that the additional demand of provinces at one million tonnes over and above the normal wheat release to flour mills at 6.254 million may be accepted.

The Ministry has said that in case this demand is approved, the total wheat import requirement will add up to 3.158 million tonnes, out of wheat 1.1 million tonnes wheat imports has already been arranged from USA and Australia.

As an alternative, the Ministry has proposed that keeping in view the actual wheat release from May-November 1999 and anticipated released on the basis of last year's figures, further import of 1.2 million tonnes wheat may be permitted in addition to 1.1 million tonnes already lined up. Fortuna