Pak allows wheat export to India

Islamabad, May 4 (UNI) Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has approved export of 500,000 tonnes of wheat to neighbouring countries, including India and Afghanistan.

Mr Aziz gave permission for wheat export at a meeting with federal Agriculture Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan.

Dawn newspaper quoted Mr Bosan as saying in Islamabad that the prime minister was ''very pleased'' with the bumper wheat harvest this season, adding that it was likely to exceed 23 million tonnes, surpassing the 22.5 million-tonne target.

Last year, the country had produced 21.7 million tonnes of wheat.

''Final production figures may surpass the current estimates. We will announce new plan for more wheat exports after finalisation of crop figures,'' Mr Bosan said.

Attributing the bumper crop to the government's pro-farmer policies, including farm sector subsidies, he said onion production was also likely to surpass last year's output figures.

UNI