Farmers Reject Govt Wheat Price, Demands Rs. 5,000 per 40kg

Farmers across Pakistan have rejected the government’s new wheat support price of Rs. 3,500 per 40 kilograms. Farmers argue that the rate does not cover soaring production costs and have threatened to stop growing wheat if the government fails to revise it. Major farmer groups like Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, Kissan Board Pakistan, and Farmers Associates Pakistan are demanding Rs. 5,000 per maund. They argue the government announced the price without consulting growers. Farmers point out that the Prime Minister’s announcement of Rs. 3,500 per 40kg is far below their cost of production, which ranges between Rs. 3,500 and Rs. 4,000. “We need fair compensation for our work, not charity,” one farmer said. The groups also say that costs of fertilizer, diesel, and seeds have risen sharply, while the official rate leaves no profit margin. Growers argue that the decision comes at a time when they are still recovering from flood losses and  lower procurement rates will further push them into financial distress. They compared Pakistan’s situation with India, where wheat production costs are about Rs. 2,200 to Rs. 2,250 per 40kg and fertilizer prices and other inputs are much cheaper there. Farmers fear the new policy will make wheat cultivation unprofitable. They also criticized the government’s move to end official wheat procurement, saying it would leave them at the mercy of middlemen. Climate change, they added, has already reduced yields. Erratic weather, floods, and droughts have hurt production, making the government’s pricing policy even harder to bear. For years, the Wheat crop has become a major challenge for both farmers and the government. One on hand it’s a staple crop and sits at the center of both the national food security and agricultural economy. But the government procurement system is marred with losses and inefficiencies while the international obligations under IMF agreements also require the government to reform the procurement system.