The Punjab government has extended for another 30 days the ban on the use of wheat in poultry feed across the province, in a bid to ensure uninterrupted supply of wheat and flour for human consumption.
According to a notification issued by the Home Department, the decision has been taken to stabilise the supply of wheat, flour and bread for the general public. The extension has been enforced under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The order states that wheat will only be allowed to be used by flour mills for producing flour. The department noted that feed mills in Punjab currently hold a stock of more than 100,000 metric tonnes of wheat.
As per the Secretary for Price Control’s report, feed mills were preparing to use wheat for poultry feed, prompting the government to intervene to prevent the diversion of wheat from human consumption.
The Home Department stressed that wheat is a staple food item and must be utilised solely for flour production. The ban has been imposed under Section 144(6) of the CrPC and will remain in force until Monday, December 1.
