Punjab procures 4,295 tonnes wheat, meets 0.14% of 3 million tonne target

Punjab has procured 4,295.5 metric tonnes of wheat worth Rs375.85 million at the notified rate of Rs3,500 per 40 kg, achieving 0.14% of its 3 million tonne target, according to Food Directorate data.

Officials said 70,597 farmers have registered at 233 procurement centres since the campaign began. The department has distributed 0.211 million gunny bags out of a total stock of 1.849 million, accounting for 11.4% of available bags.

Out of the distributed stock, 42,955 bags have been returned filled and procured, representing 20.3% of issued bags and 2.3% of total stock. Each bag carries 100 kg, translating the collected bags into 4,295.5 tonnes of wheat.

At the notified rate, the procurement price stands at Rs8,750 per 100-kg bag or Rs87,500 per tonne. Based on this rate, the wheat procured so far is valued at Rs375.85 million.

The Food Directorate reported that Rs133 million has been transferred to farmers within 72 hours of procurement, covering 35.4% of the total payable amount. Payments amounting to Rs242.85 million remain under process.

Officials confirmed participation of 14 private companies or aggregators in the procurement process. Farmer registration is ongoing across all centres.

The provincial government is providing gunny bags free of cost, with the allocation valued at Rs6 billion. Farmers are required to submit CNIC and bank details to receive bags, while Kisan Card holders and small farmers are being prioritised.

Procurement centres will remain operational on Sundays and public holidays. Oversight is being carried out through provincial and divisional management committees, with Special Monitoring Unit staff deployed at centres to handle complaints. A toll-free helpline, 0800-60606, has also been activated.

Against the 3 million tonne target, the distributed gunny bags so far represent 21,124 tonnes of capacity, equal to 0.7% of the requirement. With only 4,295.5 tonnes procured, around 2,995,704.5 tonnes remain to be collected, valued at Rs262.12 billion.

Officials did not disclose the exact start date of procurement. However, if the current volume was collected over the first week, the average daily procurement stands at about 613.6 tonnes. Authorities indicated that procurement is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks.