Govt kicks off process to import more wheat

KARACHI:
The federal government has started the process of importing another 500,000 metric tonnes of wheat in the wake of its shortage following the recent devastating floods in several parts of the country.
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan has already issued a tender for the import of wheat.
Sealed bids have been invited from international suppliers of wheat till November 28.
The sealed bids would be opened the same day.
Bids have been invited for the import of wheat from December 16, 2022 to February 8, 2023. It has also been decided not to accept bids of less than 100,000 metric tonnes.
In September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan might have to import about a million tons of wheat because of the destruction of farmland following the floods.
“It can come from Russia, but the country is open to other offers,” he said in a wide-ranging interview with a foreign news agency.
“The country also needs fertiliser because factories involved in their production are closed,” he added.
Flooding likely worsened by climate change has submerged one-third of Pakistan’s territory and left 33 million of its people scrambling to survive, according to the prime minister.
Even before the floods began in mid-June, Pakistan was facing serious challenges from grain shortages and skyrocketing crude oil prices sparked mainly by Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine and the war that followed. One dimension of grain purchases taps into one of Pakistan’s most existential issues – its relationship with neighbouring India.
When asked about the possibility of buying grain from India if needed, the prime minister said the notion was impeded by “a legal bottleneck” — Kashmir.
“India is a neighbour, and Pakistan would very much like to live like a peaceful neighbour with India,” the prime minister said.-Agencies