SAARC states to form flour mills association
PAKISTAN: Flour millers of South Asian countries are forming a South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) flour mills body with
Lahore as its headquarters to exchange knowledge, information and
experience in milling practices and support each other wherever
necessary and needed in wheat growing areas.
We hope to complete our process of formation of the SAARC Flour Mills
Association by next spring with a seminar on the milling in Lahore, Sufi
Bilal, a veteran and leader of millers in Pakistan, who now heads the
Indo-Pak Flour Mills Association, said.
As bureaucracies in India and Pakistan started showing signs of
strains and tension, the flour mills leadership of the two countries
thought it appropriate to extend their coordination and cooperation at
the SAARC level.
Pakistan remains the main wheat consuming area in South Asia with
more than 22 million tons of wheat production a year and has 1,139 flour
mills.
India's wheat production has come down to 69 million tons last season
from 75 million tons with about 1,100 flour mills.
These mills are mostly located in the northern parts of the country.
Bangladesh is mainly a rice consuming country where eating habits have
changed a lot and according to Sufi Bilal, about two million tons of
wheat was imported this year to supplement local wheat production, which
is too meagre to meet the local demand.
There are 300 flour mills in Bangladesh.
Nepal has 29 flour mills and it depends entirely on imported wheat.
Sri Lanka too is a non-wheat growing country and depends on import to
keep its three flour mills operational.
The Flour Mills Associations of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal
and Sri Lanka have agreed to form a SAARC association with Sufi Bilal as
its first leader with head office in Lahore.
The Articles of Association and other details will be finalised at
the Lahore meeting of the leaders of flour mills associations of these
five countries.
Agriculturists, nutrition experts, bakers, technologists and millers
from South Asian countries will explore areas of cooperation and
coordination.
India has a good network of laboratories while we in Pakistan boast
of modern milling practices, Sufi Bilal remarked while indicating areas
of possible cooperation.
Pakistan harvested a good crop last season and we could export some
quantities to India, Bangladesh, Nepal or Sri Lanka, he said. India's
wheat production was relatively low last season and it imported wheat
from Russia, Australia, and the Central Asian Republics.
Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka too depend on wheat imports from
Australia, the US, and South American countries.
In addition to wheat production and milling there are areas in bakery
production where SAARC countries can explore cooperation and benefit
from each other's potential as well as experience and knowledge and
cater to their needs rather than depending on Europe and the US.
Confectionaries and cookies in the West are not only expensive but
also not compatible to tastes, cultural and religious sensibilities of
the people of South Asia.
Source: News Today |