LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday the interests of farmers will be safeguarded and payments to them for their produce at the fixed rate will be ensured.

Addressing a meeting to review various proposals with regard to the 2015-16 wheat procurement campaign, he said there had been a bumper wheat crop this year.

He said all necessary measures would be taken for stabilising wheat prices and it would also be ensured that farmers were not affected by the low price and slump in the international market.

He said the campaign would be launched in the end of April in Punjab and gunny bags would be distributed among the cultivators in accordancewith the set policy.

He said the system of distribution of gunny bags would be just and transparent and gunny bags would be issued on a `first come first served` basis.

The chief minister said the middleman would not be allowed to get involved in the wheat procurement campaign and exploit cultivators.

All necessary facilities would be provided to cultivators at the procurement centers and complaint cells for farmers would be established at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil levels, he added.

He directed food minister Bilal Yasin and secretary concerned to publicise their phone numbers so that farmers could contact them directly incase of any problem.

He said using information technology a `feedback system` should be introduced for resolving farmers` problems.

Mr Sharif directed officials concerned that wheat should be procured from small cultivators on priority.

Assembly members gave various proposals with regard to the campaign, while the food secretary gave a briefing on the arrangements made in this regard.

Ministers Bilal Yasin, Muhammad Shafiq, Iqbal Channer, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Rajab Ali Khan Baloch, Special Assistant Arshad Jutt, MPA Rana Sanaullah, chief secretaryandconcernedsecretaries also attended the meeting.-APP