ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema chaired a meeting here on Friday to consult provinces on minimum wheat support price.

Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet will take final decision on the minimum wheat support price, after proposals from the provinces are received by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Tariq Bashir Cheema directed that the proposals from provinces on support price of wheat should be profitable for the farmers. He said productivity of wheat will improve only if the farmers can make a profit. The Minister said import of wheat for building strategic reserves is putting unnecessary stress on the country’s precious foreign exchange, and therefore wheat’s productivity and cultivation area should be enhanced.

The participants estimated that an approximately $1 billion of import bill can be curtailed by announcement of a profitable wheat support price well before the sowing of wheat crop. The participants were of the view that cost of land preparation for the next season’s cultivation will be higher because of destruction caused by the recent floods.

Tariq Bashir Cheema said a profitable support price will provide relief to the farmers and help them recover their losses. He expressed his grief over loss of the farmers due to the rainfall damages and floods. He said it is a hard time for the farmers and floods have resulted in an agriculture disaster. He said that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research will do whatever it can to provide relief to the flood victims.

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