Punjab claims wheat stocks intact, dismisses reports of missing grain

The Director General (DG) Punjab Food Department has rejected reports claiming that wheat has gone missing from the province, describing them as baseless and insisting that all wheat stocks are fully accounted for, 24NewsJHD TV reported on Tuesday.

In a statement, the DG Food said the Punjab government's wheat production, consumption, and storage records are complete and up to date.

He stressed that reports suggesting missing wheat or unaccounted stockpiles are contrary to the facts.

According to the official, around 1.6 million metric tons of wheat are currently held by flour mills, 500,000 metric tons are in the custody of the Food Department, while another 700,000 metric tons are with seed companies.

He said farmers in Punjab retain nearly 55 percent of the province's total wheat production to meet household needs, preserve seed for the next crop and sell the grain gradually throughout the year.

The DG Food added that Punjab consumes approximately 1.3 million metric tons of wheat every month to meet domestic food requirements.

During the current season, between 4.5 and 5 million metric tons of wheat have already been consumed, while around 1 million metric tons have been supplied to other provinces to ensure an uninterrupted flour supply across the country.