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By Shabbir Hussain
ISLAMABAD, Feb 09 (Alliance News):The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food Department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) inaugurated a state-of-the-art model wheat storage facility in Malakand Thursday.
The storage facility, which can hold up to 3,000 metric tons of wheat, was inaugurated by the Additional Secretary of Food Department, Government of KPK, Kashif Iqbal Gillani and World Food Programme Pakistan Country Director, Chris Kaye, said a press release issued here.
The Additional Secretary of Food Department applauded the joint efforts of the Government and WFP, and said, “This facility will act as a model with its improved design and testing facility which we hope to replicate in other areas of KPK given the need for expanded storage facilities in the Province.”
WFP constructed the model wheat storage facility including a training facility, office area and wheat testing laboratory at the request of the Government as part of an effort to strengthen wheat management across the province. The facility will help the food department balance the supply and demand of wheat flour to safeguard the interests of both growers and consumers. The training facility will also help build the capacities of Food Department staff and other partners in areas of wheat storage management.
During the inauguration ceremony, Chris Kaye, Country Director of WFP, said, “WFP is committed to helping strengthen food systems in Pakistan. During the recent floods, it was painfully obvious that much needs to be done to help protect and manage one of Pakistan’s most precious commodities – wheat. Improved storage capacity is a pre-requisite and a systems approach can help bring benefits to farmers and consumers.” Construction of this model warehouse is part of capacity building and strengthening of food departments to build storage infrastructure across Pakistan, he added.
The post-harvest losses are a key concern in Pakistan, primarily due to inefficient collection and handling as well as substandard storage. The additional risk factors such as extreme heat and moisture caused by climate extremes contribute to the challenge. It was reported that inadequate and poorly maintained warehouses and sub-standard storage facilities resulted in a loss of up to 20% of the 2022 wheat crop in the flood affected areas.
The facility was initiated by WFP together with the KPK Food Department in early 2022 and has been built within the government’s storage compound in Malakand. The facility expands the storage capacity, allowing for a wider coverage of wheat supply in the division. It will also help with the overall management of wheat supply across the province in the event of any shortage given its strategic location and accessibility.
The construction of this facility is part of the implementation of WFP Pakistan’s new Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 – 2027. This intervention aligns specifically with CSP Strategic Outcome 3: Pakistan’s food systems are resilient to shocks and support access to healthy and nutritious food by all of Pakistan’s communities 2027