Punjab Food Department is a department of Government of the Punjab responsible for regulating business of food grains which include purchase, storage, sales and milling, illegal hording of wheat stocks and trading of wheat grains without Food Grain License. Food Department started work in 1976 in District Vehari.
Functions
The main functions of the Food Department are:
- Procurement of wheat for issuance to the flour mills
- Ensure food security
- Security of wheat and wheat products
- Drawl of wheat flour samples to ensure the quality of flour
- Transportation wheat from surplus to deficit regions
- Protection of wheat stock from pest and other hazards
- Undertaking all activity related to import / export of wheat up to supply at port
Attached Departments
- Ministry of National Food Security and Research
- Punjab Agriculture Department
- Punjab Food Authority
- Cane Commissioner Punjab
Innovation
PITB has developed the Flour Ledger Management Information System as part of the Digitization of Food Department, Punjab. This system consists of:
- A food inventory control module that allows registration of all the flour mills
- Recording of daily purchase of wheat from the government
- Daily recording of wheat ground
- Subsequent issuance of flour to the dealers
- The digital recording of data from wheat procurement to flour issuance ensures transparency and ready availability of flour in the market.