Pakistani farmers demand wheat support price of Rs5,000 — Dawn
In Lahore, Pakistan, Khalid Khokhar, president of the farmers’ association Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, called on the authorities to set a wheat support price of 5,000 Pakistani rupees per 40 kilograms. He warned that farmers may not sow wheat next season if the government continues to delay announcing a policy for the crop.
As Dawn reports, Khokhar said at a press conference that wheat sowing is due to begin soon, but the government has still not announced a policy for the crop. According to him, farmers cannot ensure balanced fertilizer use because they are not recovering their production costs.
Fertilizers and wheat prices
Khokhar claims that DAP consumption has fallen from 2.39 million tonnes to 1.25 million tonnes. In his view, if farmers are paid for wheat at the international market price, they will be able to ensure record production volumes. He also noted that higher agricultural product prices in previous years contributed to better yields.
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The association’s representative said that producers are not seeking subsidies but want fair prices for their products. He linked rising input costs and insufficient income to young people’s reluctance to choose agriculture as a profession.
Exporting surplus sugar
Khokhar also said that the area under sugarcane had increased by 16%, to 2.454 million acres, while sugar production was expected to rise by 25–30%. He urged the government to maintain sufficient sugar stocks for domestic consumption until November and export the surplus to avoid losses for producers.
Another association representative, Mahmoodul Hassan Bukhari, criticized delays in government decisions despite the availability of data on harvests and stocks. According to him, previous delays in exporting surplus sugar shifted losses onto farmers. He also warned that farmers may not sow wheat if the policy for the crop is not announced in time.
