Flour prices to 'stabilise' in '09

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Owing to various incentives provided by the government including increased wheat support price, the flour prices would stabilize during the year 2009, a top official in the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) said.

"Wheat as well as flour prices would stabilize in 2009 as the incentives including the support wheat price of Rs.950 per 40kg would encourage the farmers produce more wheat and make the country self-sufficient," Wheat Commissioner Minfal Dr. Shahkeel Ahmed Khan told APP while commenting on a news item which appeared in a section of the English press.

He said that the speculation that the flour price would reach to Rs.28.75 per kg in the year 2009 was baseless, saying that it was an attempt to create price harassment in the country.

He said that the government has announced a wheat support price of Rs.950 per 40kg and this was a kind of cash crop incentive to the farmers in the country.

Khan further said that the farmers in the country have widely welcomed and appreciated the decision of the government regarding support price and this would definitely encourage them to enhance wheat production, besides discouraging the smuggling of the commodity.

He said that in the year 2009 there would be availability of the commodity in the country and as a result the prices would also come down.

The wheat commissioner urged the farmers to take benefit of the government's incentives and produce more wheat for their own benefit as well as for the prosperity of the country.