ISLAMABAD (March 18 2003) : Oil truck owners' strike has resulted insuspension of palm oil supply to ghee industries across the country,leaving half of them closed, and industrialists apprehended that the restmight follow suit if the situation remained unchanged for a few more days.

Islamabad and Hattar-based industrialists said that they were running outof stock and their industries would shut down ultimately in next few daysif the supply crisis continued.

However, upcountry industry is less affected than Karachi-based units,which mainly depend upon day to day supply instead of keeping stocks tomeet any sudden disruption.

A Karachi-based industrialist said on Monday that a good number of gheemills in Karachi have closed down due to short supply and the rest wouldfollow in a day or two.

Ghee industry depends on supply of palm oil imported from Malaysia andIndonesia but its clearance and timely supply from Port Qasim to theindustries is subject to lifting of shipments by trucks.

Palm oil consignments were held up at Port Qasim since Friday last whentruck owners went on strike against increase in diesel prices.

They claimed that increase in diesel prices has made it difficult for themto continue with business at present fare. They demanded increase in fareby 20 percent to meet additional cost.

Truck owners-industrialists row over fare may cause acute shortage ofghee/edible oil, besides taking the prices up in the coming days.

Similar situation had developed some months back and the industrialistsagreed for a 5 percent increase in fare rates after a day-long meetingwith truck owners in Islamabad. Apparently, they are not ready to acceptthe truckers' demand this time.

An industrialist termed the demand as a bid to make the entire gheeindustry hostage.

He hinted at a meeting of industrialists in coming days to discuss thesituation arising out of the strike.

Though the industrialists have strong determination not to succumb totanker owners' pressure but they can not afford to let the strike continuefor an unlimited period or use any other option beside depending on trucksfor supply of imported palm oil as they hold complete monopoly in thisfield.

They (Truckers) have developed a 'Queue' system at the port and noindustrialist can bypass this procedure even in case of having owntransport for lifting of imported palm oil to mills.