Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Punjab has demanded a ban on setting up of new flour mills saying that present flour milling units have double the grinding capacity than the requirements of next 50 years. Instead of allowing new flour mills, the government should give incentives to present units so as it could play its due role in strengthening of the national economy, said a meeting of the PFMA Punjab held here Wednesday.

PFMA Punjab Chairman Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad Mattoo presided over the meeting. Group leader Asim Raza Ahmad, former PFMA Punjab Chairman Liaquat Ali Khan, Mian Muhammad Riaz, Mian Anjum Ishaq and others attended the meeting. The meeting was convened to review the wheat crop situation and prices of the commodity in the market. Participants of the meeting expressed their satisfaction over availability of the wheat in the province and claimed that shortage of flour had not been reported from any part of the Punjab. It said that flour was available on appropriate rates in the market in abundance.

The meeting also discussed the new wheat crop and prices of the coming crop. Participants were unanimous that wheat prices in the local market were higher than the international market which was hindering the way of disposal of surplus wheat stocks. It urged the government to link the wheat prices with the international market and fix fresh wheat prices at Rs 900 per maund. The meeting also urged the government to provide fertiliser, seed, electricity and petroleum on subsidised rates to growers to facilitate them.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016