NUT Desk- LAHORE: As decided, the millers stopped grinding of wheat on Thursday, suspended wheat flour supplies to the market and promised to continue strike for Friday (today) as well an act that could create a gap of over 70,000 tonnes in the supply chain.
According to the millers, their units roughly grind 20,000 tonnes in Punjab and another 15,000 tonnes in the rest of Pakistan. The market may not feel the pinch immediately as the supply contains enough quantity to sustain demand for two to three days.
`However, the pressure would start building up by Monday, warns a miller from the city.
The mills, he said, stopped wheat flour washing on Wednesday and did not grind anything on Thursday. Both days would cost the market around 70,000 tones. Then there is Sunday a day after, which means deñcit of another 35,000 tones.
Cumulatively, over 100,000 tones of supply gap would be created in next four days that would start biting the market at the beginning of the next week, he warns.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), which was in touch with the government to solve the tax issues, called a press conference on Thursday afternoon but hurriedly postponed it.
According to insiders, the government had assured the millers of resolution of issues (withdrawal of both general sales tax on bran and increase in turn-over tax) after the passage of the budget.
