2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Substandard packaging: PPWSMA calls on govt to curb Atta wastage
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Polypropylene Woven Sack Manufacturers Association (PPWSMA) has appealed to the Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, to take urgent action to prevent the wastage of wheat flour (Atta) caused by the use of substandard packaging.
In a letter addressed to the Minister, PPWSMA Chairman Iskandar Khan highlighted that, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, over 11 million Pakistanis face acute food insecurity.
'Wheat flour (Atta), as it is commonly known, is the staple food of our nation. For a vast majority of our people, a simple Roti with onions or chilies is often their only meal,' Khan wrote. 'To preserve this essential staple in the daily diet of the common man, it must be packed and distributed in compliant sacks and bags as per the official Gazette notification.'
He emphasized that significant losses are occurring due to dusting and spillage from poor-quality, non-food grade sacks—resulting in a cumulative wastage valued at approximately Rs 594 billion.
The Minister was reminded of Gazette Notification S.R.O. 46(KE)/2017, issued on May 19, 2017, which mandates the use of PSQCA-licensed, environment-friendly, recyclable, and food-grade polypropylene sacks to reduce losses during handling and transit.
According to PPWSMA, failure to implement this notification has led to continuous flour wastage since 2017. Khan argued that the cost difference between non-food grade and food-grade sacks is minimal compared to the potential savings. For example, using compliant bags could save Rs 75 per 20kg sack and Rs 37.50 per 10kg sack—totaling an estimated annual savings of Rs 67.2 billion.
'We seek your assistance in ensuring the enforcement of the Gazette notification to stop this massive wastage of Atta, which directly contributes to food insecurity across the country,' Khan concluded.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
