KARACHI: Sindh’s Agriculture Minister, Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, has urged the federal government to announce a support price for wheat, citing the mounting pressures faced by farmers due to fluctuating market prices.
In his statement, Minister Mahar highlighted that due to the stipulations imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), provincial governments are unable to set their own wheat support prices without approval from the federal government. This has led to a delay in establishing a minimum price, which is creating significant financial hardship for wheat growers.
Mahar recommended that the federal government set a support price of at least Rs4,200 per 40 kilograms of wheat. He warned that if farmers are not provided with a fair price, they may shift to more profitable crops, risking a potential food shortage in the country.
The Central Executive Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party has also echoed these concerns, urging for an immediate announcement of a minimum support price for wheat. To further assist farmers, the Sindh government has launched a Rs56 billion “Wheat Cultivation Support Programme,” which provides a subsidy of Rs24,700 per acre for purchasing urea and DAP fertilizers. The initiative targets 411,000 farmers with land holdings ranging from 1 to 25 acres, and as of now, 132,601 farmers have already registered.
Additionally, the Sindh government has allocated Rs8 billion for its “Hari Card Scheme,” aimed at providing direct support to farmers. Minister Mahar emphasized the need for a unified wheat support price across the country and urged the federal government to develop a coordinated national policy that safeguards farmers’ interests and ensures they receive fair compensation for their crops.
