ISLAMABAD: On Sunday, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan announced that thousands of farmers would join nationwide demonstrations against the ongoing wheat crisis starting from May 10 in Multan.
The market price of wheat has sharply dropped, falling well below the support price of Rs3,900 per 40kg. The decision to import wheat despite a local “bumper crop” has been blamed for exacerbating the crisis.
Last month, farmers protested in Lahore and other cities, prompting a government crackdown.
Despite assurances to protect farmers, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government seems hesitant to thoroughly investigate the wheat import and take action against those responsible.
A cabinet committee has been formed to determine why the previous caretaker government, led by then-PM Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, imported wheat despite sufficient local supply.
Reiterating their determination, the farmers’ alliance announced the relaunch of nationwide protests against the crisis.
“I have reached out to many farmers’ groups, and we have decided to protest—not for ourselves, but to save the country,” said the alliance’s president, Khalid Khokhar.
Addressing a press conference, Khokhar blamed the caretaker government for causing a loss of over Rs400 billion to the national exchequer by importing $1 billion worth of wheat amid a forex shortage.
“I cannot even describe how much these farmers are suffering right now,” Khokhar lamented. “I submitted applications to the prime minister, the chief of army staff, and the director-general of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), showing the damage this wheat import has caused.”
Khokhar stated that the “mafia” profited Rs100 billion from the wheat import, while farmers lost approximately Rs400 billion because they had to sell their wheat at lower rates. “The government also lost another Rs150 billion due to interest on the surplus wheat they did not sell,” he added.
“When farmers suffer financially, it affects other crops such as rice and cotton,” warned Khokhar. “If farmers have no money, how will they invest in other crops?”
“We bought everything on the black market,” Khokhar continued, noting that farmers spent Rs150 billion on urea for wheat cultivation—more than the market price. “Urea is still black market, even though demand is low,” he said.
“Where was the state when they said they would protect farmers?” questioned Khokhar. “Those in power are not making the right decisions.”
Using urea as an example, he highlighted the lack of government regulation, leading to five different rates for the commodity.
Khokhar announced that Kissan Ittehad would lead nationwide protests against the government’s wheat policy, starting in Multan on May 10 and continuing across the country. “There will be thousands of farmers, along with their livestock and families,” he emphasized. “I don’t want to protest because it inconveniences people, but the state does not prioritize farmers.”
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
