Flour millers threaten again to stop supply

LAHORE: The indecisive office-bearers of the Punjab Flour Mills Association have said if all the demands including lifting of 25% quota from remote districts in one week are not met, the supply of flour across Punjab will be stopped on Tuesday (November 23).

This is third such move of the flour mill owners in the last couple of months. Last week, the PFMA warned that they were forced to stop wheat grinding if their demands are not met. However, they withdrew the call later.

Now, at a press conference on Tuesday, the group leader, Asim Raza Ahmed, said the flour milling industry has serious concerns over the official wheat release policy. The Food Department's measures have resulted in unrest in the flour industry.

He said that due to low government quota, the availability of flour was being affected and the open market was facing crisis due to short supply. He said the wheat quota should be increased to at least 25 bags per body. He said the Food Department has surplus wheat but the secretary Food Punjab and the director Food were not ready to increase the quota as per demand. The flour supply across Punjab will be cut off from November 23.