LAHORE- The Punjab province, considered as a mainstay of Pakistan's agriculture, has asked the federal government to immediately import 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to overcome the shortfall in the province after its failure to achieve even the initial wheat procurement target of three million tonnes this year. The Punjab Food Department, after failing to meet the target due to less production, has demanded the Federal govt to immediately import 2.5 million tonnes of wheat only for the Punjab and the province will pay for the imported wheat. This wheat import will be over and above the wheat import planned by the Federal govt to cater to the needs of all the provinces. It is important to mention here that despite adopting strict measures and launching massive crackdown against the wheat hoarders and smugglers, the provincial Food Department could procure only 25 lakh 53 thousand and 770 metric tons wheat so far against the minimum target of three million tons. According to official sources, the Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif has conveyed the federal government about the wheat requirement and asked to import 2.5 million metric tons of wheat and tenders have been invited on 14th June in this regard. The government had set three million tonnes of wheat procurement target for Punjab initially. Later, the govt revised the procurement target and decided to purchase more than 4.5 million tonnes of wheat including 1.5 million tonnes for NWFP and Balochistan in order to overcome any further food shortage. Sources in the Agriculture Department disclosed that the government had experienced very low production of wheat this year. The sources revealed that the wheat production in Punjab is very less as compared to the past because at least 1.5 million acre wheat cultivation area was less this year and the govt had announced wheat support price very late instead of announcing it during the sowing season. The skyrocketing prices of DAP and other fertilisers and shortage of 28 per cent water also forced the farmers to grow other crops other than wheat. "The Punjab government has asked the federal government to import 2.5 million tonnes of wheat immediately for Punjab only. The Punjab govt will pay for the imported wheat', Provincial Food Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran said. 'We don't have any other option but to immediately import 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to avert any future food crisis in the province and the country as well', he added. He said that the wheat is being imported to discourage the hoarders and black-marketing in the province. It is worth mentioning that the Federal govt had already approved import of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to meet the requirement and the Punjab has placed a separate demand of another two million tonnes of wheat to avoid any future food crisis in the province. According to the officials, the Food Department has been procured more than 25,53,770 metric tons wheat so far. According to details, 247936 metric tons wheat has been procured from Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Okara. Likewise, 336275 from Gujranwala, Sialkot and Gujrat, 387414 from Fasialabad, Toba Tek Singh and Jhang, 198825 from Sargodha, Mianwali and Bhakkar, 429246 from Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan and Khanewal, 4438 from Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal, 361305 from D.G. Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajan pur and Layyah and 588331 metric ton wheat has been procured from Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan