The government has reportedly exempted US wheat from pre-shipment inspection without giving any reasonable justification after Washington opposed any such condition, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.

 

The United States (US) is providing 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Islamabad under the food aid programme, of which shipment schedule is yet to be finalised, the sources added.

 

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has approached the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to obtain No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the deal with US. According to the prescribed procedure, inspection of all wheat before shipment is necessary for the safety of Pakistan's own wheat produce. But in the case in question, the government apparently ignored the condition.

 

The government is likely to float tender for shipment of the wheat in a couple of days. Agriculture experts fear that transportation of US wheat to the upcountry might cause spread of kernel bunt, which could harm Pakistan's wheat seed, which ultimately affect the wheat yield.

 

They urged the government to avoid any such move. One of the experts proposed that the US wheat should not only be shipped to Gwadar Port but its grinding arrangements also be made near Gwadar. The government, however, is of the view that the US wheat would be stored in Karachi and after grinding the flour would be transported to other parts of the country.

 

An official of Agriculture Ministry, who requested not to be named, said that US wheat would be inspected by its own agencies, whose certification is authentic in the world. The wheat is part of a $115 million package agreed under the PL-480 aid scheme, which also includes purchase of soybean oil.

 

It is feared that when the government will float open tender for shipment wheat and ask for pre-shipment inspection, the private sector could approach the court for relief. Minfal's Additional Secretary Shahid Raja has been quoted by the source as saying that United States had "agreed in principle" to provide wheat worth $100 million on deferred payments under another programme.