The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to increase wheat storage capacity in light of the dissolution of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASCO).
According to Dawn News, a meeting of the Food Department was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, attended by Provincial Food Minister Zahir Shah Turo and senior officials from the Food Department.
The meeting discussed the strategy in the context of PASCO’s dissolution and addressed the payment of outstanding dues to PASCO related to wheat procurement.
Key decisions included prioritizing the payment of dues to local farmers for wheat purchases, addressing staff shortages to enhance the Food Department’s capacity, and digitizing processes related to wheat procurement, transportation, and storage.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur emphasized the need for transparency in all matters related to wheat procurement. He stated that there would be no compromise on the quality of wheat, ensuring that no substandard wheat is released into the market.
To enhance storage capacity, projects will be included in the annual development program, and the provincial government will seek assurances from the federal government that there will be no restrictions on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat.
