LAHORE – The Punjab government has finalized an agreement with the private sector for the procurement of wheat from farmers, officials said on Wednesday. The announcement was made during a wheat-focused meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The meeting highlighted that a comprehensive wheat procurement plan has been prepared for the upcoming year. Punjab has sufficient wheat stocks, and there is no shortage of the staple in the province. Under the agreement, the private sector will purchase wheat directly from farmers at a rate of Rs 3,500 per maund.
Addressing the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz emphasized, “Farmers are our brothers; we will never leave their side. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, one thousand tractors were distributed free to wheat growers. Farmers have also been provided agricultural loans worth billions of rupees through the Kisan Card program. Fertilizers of all types are abundantly available in the province at controlled rates.”
Meanwhile, farmers’ organizations have raised concerns over a shortfall of an estimated 1.5 million tons of wheat in Punjab. They attribute the shortage to last year’s provincial government decision to halt wheat procurement from farmers and the non-payment of support prices. “If the government does not provide a support price this year, farmers will not prioritize wheat production in the coming season,” they warned.
Farmers’ groups said that due to these flawed policies, Punjab’s farmers suffered heavy losses running into billions of rupees, while middlemen profited by buying wheat at Rs 2,000 per maund and selling it at Rs 3,500–4,000 per maund.
Kisan leader Khalid Khokhar and Flour Mills Association Chairman Asim Raza said, “The government’s wrong policies caused losses to farmers and flour mills, while middlemen benefited significantly. If consultations are not held this year, wheat cultivation may decrease.”
They also demanded that the government set the support price of wheat above Rs 4,000 per maund to ensure fair compensation for farmers.
