Nation heading for wheat crisis, warns Advisor Mahmood Moulvi

KARACHI: Advisor on Maritime Affairs Mahmood Moulvi has warned the government on an impending wheat crisis in the country.

During a discussion with prominent businessmen at his office, the adviser said the nation faces a wheat crisis of one million metric tonnes, while the government has issued permits to the private sector to import 1.5 million tonnes.

He said the private sector has been misleading the government as the permits are issued with no restrictions and can be easily cancelled with no charges.

He said the government is being misled and the private sector will only be able to import 100-150,000 metric tonnes of wheat before the crisis worsens. He said the government is under the impression that the wheat import target can be achieved.

The advisor urged the government to import wheat immediately itself to avert the crisis. The government can import wheat from Ukraine. At present, wheat is available at $220 CNF per metric tonne which will rise to $240 in the coming days and reach $260 by October when the crisis peaks.

The adviser said the local price of wheat is currently Rs40 per kilogram which can increase to Rs47 per kg if the import is delayed. Therefore, he urged the government to import wheat right now.

He added the nation faces an acute wheat crisis and prices have recently increased. He asserted that delaying imports can cause huge losses to the economy.