51,000 metric tonnes of imported wheat arrive at Karachi port

A vessel carrying 51,000 metric tonnes of imported wheat reached Karachi Port on Wednesday, while another shipment of wheat is expected to arrive on November 3, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said.

According to a KPT press release, the vessel MV GOKOVA M arrived at 12:25pm on October 28 and was assigned berths 16 and 17 to handle its cargo.

Another vessel, MV GREAT RAINBOW, is scheduled to arrive on November 3 carrying a declared cargo of 59,000 metric tonnes of wheat, the KPT said. The two shipments will bring the total declared wheat cargo to more than 110,000 metric tonnes, it added.

The port authority said it was handling the bulk wheat consignments through Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML), supporting the movement of essential imports and cargo operations.

The development comes days after Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the government would maintain strategic wheat reserves of up to six million tonnes.

On Monday, the minister said there would be no wheat shortage in the country this year, adding that arrangements were in place to meet national demand. He also said the government could arrange imports of up to 550,000 metric tonnes in line with provincial needs and demand.