In order to control prices, the Pakistani government is forcing farmers in Punjab to sell their wheat at a set price. The government of Punjab, the largest province in the country, has told farmers they have to sell their crops for less than the minimum amount the government will buy.
Rehman Khan, a wholesale dealer from Lahore, says that farmers are getting way less than they should for their wheat. “They’re being forced to sell it for Rs. 3,200 per 40 kg, when the government says it should be Rs. 3,900,” he explains. “And private buyers will give you a little more – Rs. 3,600 per 40 kg.”
Newspapers say that the prices are so low that the government can’t even buy all the wheat it’s supposed to. This is making things harder for local farmers, who are already struggling with bad weather. Unusual storms and heavy rain have hurt crops all over the province.
The situation has gotten so bad that at least 39 people have died in storm-related accidents over the past few days. Experts say this is just one more example of how climate change is making life harder for people in Pakistan.
Farmers are calling on the Punjab government to raise the price they’ll pay for wheat and buy twice as much of it. They warn that if their demands aren’t met, they might start protesting.
Khalid Khokhar, the head of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, says that he’s worried about what’s happening to farmers. “The provincial government is cutting the wheat buying target from 4 million tons to just 2 million,” he says. “That’s not fair.”
Khokhar thinks the previous government made a mistake by importing so much wheat from other countries. “They should have supported local farmers instead,” he says. “We need the government to buy more wheat and help us out.”
He also wants the government to lower the cost of things like fertilizer, electricity, and diesel. “That would make it easier for us to grow crops and make a living,” he says.
Pakistan’s agricultural sector is really important to the economy. It makes up about 23% of the GDP and provides jobs for almost 40% of the workforce. And most of the country’s exports come from agriculture.
But Khokhar thinks the government isn’t doing enough to help farmers. “They need to think long-term and support us,” he says. “Right now, it feels like we’re not a priority.”
The situation is urgent, and the government needs to act quickly to help farmers. If they don’t, it could hurt the whole economy.
